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American Morning
Minding Your Business: Tyco Gone Wild, the Videotape
Aired October 28, 2003 - 07:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Dennis Kozlowski.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I don't know whether that segue...
(CROSSTALK)
SERWER: Here on the home front.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Dennis Kozlowski.
SERWER: Meanwhile, on the home front.
O'BRIEN: Meanwhile...
SERWER: Right.
O'BRIEN: ... you know, millions of dollars on a birthday party. I would like to have a multimillion-dollar birthday party myself.
SERWER: We'll see what we can do, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, can you work that up for me?
Anyway, but the jurors are going to see a tape, and it's going to show all kinds of things.
SERWER: It's going to show that famous birthday party in Sardinia, and we're going to get to see this tape today, jurors will be, and apparently they're going to be giving it to the media later today. You'll want to watch CNN all day, because at some point we're going to get the tape and it's going to be pretty good to watch.
Just to set the stage -- there is Dennis Kozlowski, of course, from Tyco, on trial for looting $600 million out of the company. This party in Sardinia cost $2 million, 75 guests, 6 days, a Roman-themed party. I like my parties Roman-themed.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Toga?
SERWER: Yes, togas, a lot of that stuff going on there. This is the Calle de Volpe (ph) Resort in Sardinia. And do you know who was playing there? Jimmy Buffet was playing at this party. The problem with this tape, though, Miles, is it's going to be very, very heavily-edited -- this, by order of the judge, who decided that it was a little too out there.
Anyway, I want to read off some of the things that won't be on the tape. At some point, trust me, the media will get there.
O'BRIEN: What do you mean by "out there?" What do you mean by "out there?"
SERWER: We'll get to that.
O'BRIEN: All right, OK.
SERWER: The media will get this tape at some point.
O'BRIEN: All right.
SERWER: Here is what you won't see: Male models dressed in togas and Speedo bathing suits. Guests mooning the camera and jumping in the pool. Jimmy Buffet, who was paid $250,000 playing for an hour, talking about a wedding cake, saying he wanted to take her home. Why? The wedding cake was shaped like a woman and had sparklers protruding from breasts. Karen Kozlowski whistling. Karen Kozlowski being lifted off of the ground by Gladiators. Waitresses feeding male guests grapes. And, of course, you won't see the ice sculpture of Michelangelo's David, which urinated Stolinchia (ph) Vodka.
But, again, trust me, at some point this stuff will come out. It will come out.
And there is one lesson here. People always ask me what is this business news have to do with me? Here is what it has to do. If you're going to have a really decedent party, don't videotape it. Do not videotape it, because you never know what's going to happen.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: It's interesting, though, the judge is saying they can't see the uncensored version and the defense claims that this was all a business expense.
SERWER: Right. That's right.
CAFFERTY: Well, if you have videotape that proves that it's something more than a business expense...
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: ... why wouldn't the judge allow it to be shown?
SERWER: See, I don't think the defense is doing a very good job. I mean, to your point, it's exactly correct. I mean, this stuff is out there. It's supposed to be business, and it's not business, clearly.
CAFFERTY: Yes, OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired October 28, 2003 - 07:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Dennis Kozlowski.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I don't know whether that segue...
(CROSSTALK)
SERWER: Here on the home front.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Dennis Kozlowski.
SERWER: Meanwhile, on the home front.
O'BRIEN: Meanwhile...
SERWER: Right.
O'BRIEN: ... you know, millions of dollars on a birthday party. I would like to have a multimillion-dollar birthday party myself.
SERWER: We'll see what we can do, Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, can you work that up for me?
Anyway, but the jurors are going to see a tape, and it's going to show all kinds of things.
SERWER: It's going to show that famous birthday party in Sardinia, and we're going to get to see this tape today, jurors will be, and apparently they're going to be giving it to the media later today. You'll want to watch CNN all day, because at some point we're going to get the tape and it's going to be pretty good to watch.
Just to set the stage -- there is Dennis Kozlowski, of course, from Tyco, on trial for looting $600 million out of the company. This party in Sardinia cost $2 million, 75 guests, 6 days, a Roman-themed party. I like my parties Roman-themed.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Toga?
SERWER: Yes, togas, a lot of that stuff going on there. This is the Calle de Volpe (ph) Resort in Sardinia. And do you know who was playing there? Jimmy Buffet was playing at this party. The problem with this tape, though, Miles, is it's going to be very, very heavily-edited -- this, by order of the judge, who decided that it was a little too out there.
Anyway, I want to read off some of the things that won't be on the tape. At some point, trust me, the media will get there.
O'BRIEN: What do you mean by "out there?" What do you mean by "out there?"
SERWER: We'll get to that.
O'BRIEN: All right, OK.
SERWER: The media will get this tape at some point.
O'BRIEN: All right.
SERWER: Here is what you won't see: Male models dressed in togas and Speedo bathing suits. Guests mooning the camera and jumping in the pool. Jimmy Buffet, who was paid $250,000 playing for an hour, talking about a wedding cake, saying he wanted to take her home. Why? The wedding cake was shaped like a woman and had sparklers protruding from breasts. Karen Kozlowski whistling. Karen Kozlowski being lifted off of the ground by Gladiators. Waitresses feeding male guests grapes. And, of course, you won't see the ice sculpture of Michelangelo's David, which urinated Stolinchia (ph) Vodka.
But, again, trust me, at some point this stuff will come out. It will come out.
And there is one lesson here. People always ask me what is this business news have to do with me? Here is what it has to do. If you're going to have a really decedent party, don't videotape it. Do not videotape it, because you never know what's going to happen.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: It's interesting, though, the judge is saying they can't see the uncensored version and the defense claims that this was all a business expense.
SERWER: Right. That's right.
CAFFERTY: Well, if you have videotape that proves that it's something more than a business expense...
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: ... why wouldn't the judge allow it to be shown?
SERWER: See, I don't think the defense is doing a very good job. I mean, to your point, it's exactly correct. I mean, this stuff is out there. It's supposed to be business, and it's not business, clearly.
CAFFERTY: Yes, OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
