The central figure in the landmark $40 billion case against the U.S. government regarding the bailout of AIG will take the witness stand later this week in Washington, D.C., possibly as early as Thursday, Fox Business reported yesterday. The Department of Justice confirmed that former AIG CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg is on the witness list for this week. Greenberg, who sued the government through his investment and charitable firm Starr International, will be called to the stand by government attorneys. Greenberg’s own lawyer will then cross-examine the 89-year-old insurance executive who ran AIG for decades. Greenberg and other AIG shareholders have argued that the government bailed out AIG without exploring other options, which Greenberg has contended that he could have facilitated first. The government has argued that time was of the essence and that a crisis allowed to fester at AIG would have severely impaired the banking system and devastated market confidence. If Greenberg isn’t called to testify Thursday or Friday, his appearance could be pushed to next week.
