Editing Mark Whitacre (section)

===Differing perspectives===

==== Kurt Eichenwald ====
{{external media| float = right| video1 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?160555-1/informant-true-story-part-1 Part One of ''Booknotes'' interview with Kurt Eichenwald  on ''The Informant'', February 4, 2001], [[C-SPAN]]| video2 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?160555-2/informant-true-story-part-2 Part Two of ''Booknotes'' interview, February 11, 2001], [[C-SPAN]]}}
In his 2000 book, ''[[The Informant (book)|The Informant]]'', [[Kurt Eichenwald]], a former ''[[The New York Times]]'' reporter, portrays Whitacre as a complex figure: while working for the FBI as one of the best and most effective undercover cooperating witnesses the U.S. government ever had, Whitacre was simultaneously committing a $9&nbsp;million [[white-collar crime]].{{sfn|Eichenwald|2000|p=546-550}} According to Eichenwald, preceding the investigation Whitacre was scammed by a group in Nigeria in an [[advance fee fraud]], and suggests that Whitacre's losses in the scam may have been the initial reason behind his embezzlement activity at ADM.{{sfn|Lieber|2000|p=518}}

Eichenwald writes that Whitacre lied and became delusional in a failed attempt to save himself, making the FBI investigation much more difficult.{{sfn|Eichenwald|2000|p=482}} ''The Informant'' details Whitacre's bizarre behavior, including Whitacre cracking under pressure, increasing his mania, telling the media that FBI agents tried to force him to destroy tapes (a story that Whitacre later recanted), and attempting suicide.{{sfn|Eichenwald|2000|p=546}} Two doctors later diagnosed Whitacre as suffering from [[bipolar disorder]]. Eichenwald concludes that Whitacre's sentence was unjust because of his mental instability at the time.<ref name="Webber">{{Citation |last= Webber |first= Susan |title= Tale of the Tapes |publisher= Aurora Advisors Newsletter |date= September 25, 2000 |url= http://www.auroraadvisors.com/articles/2000-09_dailydeal.html |url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081006125306/http://www.auroraadvisors.com/articles/2000-09_dailydeal.html |archive-date= October 6, 2008 }}</ref>

Eichenwald, two [[prosecutors]], an FBI agent, and Mark Whitacre (during his incarceration) were featured on a September 15, 2000, episode of the radio program ''[[This American Life]]'' about the ADM case.<ref name="TAL">{{Harvnb|Glass|2000}}</ref> Eichenwald referred to Whitacre's sentence as "excessive and a law enforcement failure" because Whitacre never received credit for his substantial cooperation in assisting the government with the massive price-fixing case.<ref name="TAL"/>

==== Feature film ====
''[[The Informant!]]'' is a [[Warner Bros.]] feature film released on September 18, 2009. Produced by [[Jennifer Fox (film producer)|Jennifer Fox]] and directed by [[Steven Soderbergh]], the [[dark comedy]]/[[drama]] film stars [[Matt Damon]] as Whitacre. The screenplay by [[Scott Z. Burns]] is based on Kurt Eichenwald's book, ''The Informant'', with most of the filming done in Central Illinois (Blue Mound, Springfield, [[Moweaqua, Illinois|Moweaqua]] and Decatur).<ref name="Cain"/> In the movie, the character of Whitacre is portrayed as exhibiting bizarre behavior, including delusions, mania, and compulsively lying. It was eventually learned that Whitacre was suffering from bipolar disorder.<ref name="Cain"/>

====James B. Lieber====
In his 2000 book, ''Rats In The Grain'', attorney James B. Lieber focuses on ADM's price-fixing trial and presents Whitacre as an American hero overpowered by ADM's vast political clout.<ref name="Mokhiber"/> ''Rats In The Grain'' presents evidence that the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] often subjugated itself to ADM's political power and well-connected attorneys in prosecuting Whitacre.

Lieber reveals that, in 1996, "ADM CEO, Mr. [[Dwayne Andreas]], told ''[[The Washington Post]]'' that he had known about Whitacre's frauds for three years" and speculates that Whitacre was fired and turned over to the Federal authorities only after ADM learned he had been working as an FBI [[Mole (espionage)|mole]]. If he knew about Whitacre's embezzlement for three years, Lieber asks, why didn't Andreas fire Whitacre immediately? Lieber surmises: "There were only two logical explanations for Andreas' behavior: either he did not think the funds were stolen (in other words, they were approved) or he didn't care."{{sfn|Lieber|2000|p={{Page needed|date=September 2009}}}}

Based on the fact that other ADM executives committed crimes such as financial fraud by a former treasurer and technology thefts by others, Lieber concludes that fraud was well-known and widespread at ADM during the 1990s.<ref name="Mokhiber"/> Lieber suggests that ADM would have not turned Whitacre over to the authorities if he had not been a mole for the FBI.<ref name="AP"/>

Like Eichenwald, Lieber concludes that Whitacre's lengthy prison sentence was excessive and unjust when one takes into account Whitacre's cooperation in the much larger price-fixing case.<ref name="Webber"/><ref name="Whitaker">{{Citation |last= Whitaker |first= Leslie |title= Supermarket for Scandal |periodical= The Pennsylvania Gazette |date= October 30, 2000 |url= http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/1100/1100books.html |url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070206164101/http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/1100/1100books.html |archive-date= February 6, 2007 }}</ref>

Lieber also poses this question: "Where will the government obtain the next Mark Whitacre after potential whistleblowers observe how Whitacre was treated?"{{sfn|Lieber|2000|p={{Page needed|date=September 2009}}}}