Report: Stewart Lawyers Talking Deal
Lawyers for Martha Stewart reportedly met with government prosecutors as recently as last week to discuss a settlement of the allegations she faces, though no deal is imminent.
The efforts to settle claims Stewart had insider information when she unloaded a stake of
ImClone Systems
(IMCLE)
in 2001 came after the government ran into problems making a case against the CEO of
Martha Stewart Living
(MSO)
, the
Financial Times
reported.
A potential deal, which could focus on lesser charges of obstruction of justice, could be weeks away, the newspaper said.
Stewart has been under a government investigation for months, and the cost of the bad publicity and her legal bills has weighed heavily on shares of the company bearing her name. They traded around $20 at this time last year and go for roughly half that now.