Such coordination is said to be taking place in the WorldCom case in a manner that will not impede the internal inquiry.

But the WorldCom case has plenty of complications all its own.

According to the indictment in the WorldCom case, the pressures that led to the scheme began in June 2000.

The lack of such records in the WorldCom case has led investigators to believe that the transactions had no business basis.

But he said the WorldCom case did not appear to be one that could be corrected through changes in accounting standards now under review.

The guilty pleas - the first in the WorldCom case - have been expected for several weeks.

The decision on the WorldCom case differs significantly from that in the investigation into possible fraud at Enron.

Mr. Ashcroft preferred to focus instead on the WorldCom case.

But the securities at issue in the WorldCom case were traditional, publicly issued and packaged with prospectuses.

The Oklahoma action also raises significant risks of impeding the federal WorldCom case.