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If Milken is indicted on the racketeering charges, his workdays may become devoted to legal defense. Drexel could ask him to resign or take a leave of absence, while the investment firm would pay a fine to settle its own charges. The company has set aside more than $500 million for legal costs, and could spare $1 billion without dipping into its bare minimum of capital. Under racketeering charges, the Government could freeze so much of Drexel's assets that the company would be paralyzed, but prosecutors may want to avoid a punishment that would cost innocent workers their jobs. Drexel is taking no chances: the firm already has 115 lawyers assigned to its case, compared with a total of about 35 at the SEC and the U.S. Attorney's office.
The investment firm may also be contemplating major changes in its executive suites. Drexel officials have approached former Senator and White House chief of staff Howard Baker with the idea that he become Drexel's chairman. According to one rumored scenario, Baker would take over after both Milken and Drexel chief executive Fred Joseph stepped aside.
Milken's legacy will take years to come fully into focus. "Behind every great fortune there is a great crime," Balzac once said. "Great fortunes are made by solving problems" is the way Milken has preferred to see it. The Government's view should be known in a few weeks. The true value of junk bonds will take longer to determine.