Citizens Urged To Call On General Services Administration To Cut Off New Federal Contracts For WorldCom

Noting that the federal government will spend hundreds of millions of dollars in 2002 buying services from WorldCom, a company that has engaged in the largest corporate fraud in the history of the United States, the independent BoycottWorldCom.com today urged outraged citizens to use its Web site at www.boycottworldcom.com/g_letter.html to send an email message to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) supporting the debarment of WorldCom from future federal contracts.

Mitch Marcus, the founder of BoycottWorldCom.com, also reported that he is sending a letter to the over 850 U.S. House and Senate candidates urging them to take a "pledge" in favor of barring WorldCom from future federal contracts. The text of the pledge letter for House and Senate candidates is available on the Web at www.boycottworldcom.com/pledge.pdf.>In explaining the new action steps, Mitch Marcus said: "Are you willing to do what is needed to stop this egregious example of government support of criminal corporate behavior? In March 2002, the GSA suspended both Enron and Arthur Andersen because the two companies 'had engaged in misconduct and committed internal control irregularities that seriously affect their suitability to receive Government contracts.' Yet it has not lifted a finger to reign in an even worse offender, WorldCom. Why not? It is time for citizens and candidates to say with one voice that WorldCom deserves exactly the same kind of treatment that two other flagrant lawbreakers, Enron and Arthur Andersen, also brought upon themselves."

Marcus noted that the WorldCom debacle so far has resulted in over 17,000 employees losing their jobs, over $3 billion in pension fund losses, and $7.6 billion in accounting "mistakes." Four senior officials have plead guilty to serious Federal criminal violations, each essentially acknowledging their wrong doing and pointing the finger at yet others, higher up in the corporation, who directed their criminal behavior. By one estimate, WorldCom's fraud has thus far cost investors more than $175 billion - roughly three times the amount lost by investors in Enron, a company that GSA debarred from federal contracts nearly eight months ago!

The email letter available to outraged citizens on boycottworldcom.com at www.boycottworldcom.com/g_letter.html reads in part: "Due to the apparent systemic nature of WorldCom's corruption, ongoing Federal investigations of and charges already leveled against WorldCom, I strongly support the GSA immediately taking all appropriate measures to cease engaging in any business with WorldCom."

Marcus said that the debarment campaign pledge letter will soon be in the hands of all major party candidates for the U.S. House and Senate. The pledge letter closes with the following: "Your action in this regard will send a clear message to your constituents and to the nation as a whole that you view corporate responsibility as a top national priority. You will also send an unmistakable signal to those persons considering engaging in corporate wrongdoing that their actions in this regard will not be tolerated. We are simply asking you to commit that if elected you will fight corporate corruption and will support debarment of all corporations that engage in serious and/or repeated corporate law breaking."

ABOUT BOYCOTTWORLDCOM.COM

The Web site BoycottWorldCom.com was established to: dissuade consumers, businesses, and governmental entities from purchasing internet/data/telecom services and equipment from WorldCom, Inc. or any of its owned companies or subsidiaries; encourage retail and institutional investors to divest of all WorldCom/MCI equities and initiate class action; and organize grassroots efforts to encourage Federal and State investigations into WorldCom's business practices.

BoycottWorldCom.com was established in May 2002 by Mitch Marcus, a former WorldCom account relations manager, who resigned his position at that time.