One legislator said the transaction amounted to a bribe in disguise, Interfax reported.

If you believe that the trust fund exists, then the transaction amounts to a $1 increase in both the trust fund and the national debt--sort of a pre-emptive bailout.

But Mr. Nelson said those transactions amounted to less than $100 million, a tiny proportion of that day's volume, and occurred after 3:30, well after much of the stock market's fall.

Foreign transactions with Iran amounted to $150 billion of major contracts between 2000 and 2007, including private and government lines of credit.

Enron asserted that there was a market in broadband, and that its transaction amounted to one involving the transfer of financial assets.

One AOL Time Warner executive said the questionable transaction with WorldCom amounted to less than half the $49 million, possibly representing some side deal.

The transaction amounted to 23 Billion dirhams.

The complex transaction, which may take five months or more to win approval from debtors, stockholders and others, amounts to a bailout of cash-short Southland Financial.

'Appearance' of Excessive Aid Mr. Eiland also said the commission might have to consider whether the transactions amounted to illegal contributions by the state party to the two campaigns.

The entire transaction between them amounted to nothing more than the woman's doing a few chores around the house and getting in return some "spending money" - no more than a couple of thousand dollars.