Opinion ID: 767958
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Smoot Investigation

Text: 44 Attorney Roland Bud Smoot was a senior partner at the law firm of Lyon & Lyon. That firm served as American Honda's outside general counsel, and Smoot did much of the work. Smoot was also on the American Honda Board of Directors in the 1980s and 1990s -- pertinent time periods -- and served on American Honda's ethics committee and internal audit committee. In 1984, while wearing one of his American Honda-affiliated hats, Smoot hired Emmett Doherty, a private investigator, to look into rumors that Billmyer and his predecessor had received bribes. From Smoot's comments to Doherty, it was evident that Smoot had heard sufficient stories of corruption to warrant investigation. Further, after Doherty made his initial report, Smoot terminated the investigation.