The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled with El Paso corporation and five of its former executives for engaging in fraud by overstating their oil and natural gas reserves between 1999 and 2003. Its earnings during these years were inflated by a jaw-dropping $1.7 billion. The former executives have been fined between $40,000 and $75,000, and El Paso now has a court order forbidding it “from future violations of securities laws.” Thank God the SEC was able to get a court order forbidding the company from doing anything illegal! The markets are now safe.