Army secretary says he'll resign if Enron investigation becomes a distraction

WASHINGTON -- Army Secretary Thomas White said today he would resign if the investigation into the bankruptcy of his former employer, Enron Corp., distracts him too much from his military duties.

"I thought I could do something good for soldiers and their families," White said in an interview with reporters. "That is my focus. If I ever get to a point where that's no longer possible, it doesn't make any sense to stay when somebody else could do a better job."

White said he would resign if the Enron investigation took too much of his time, or if he felt his role in the matter had caused troops to lose confidence in his leadership.

A top Enron executive until he took over as the Army's top civilian official last May, White denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with the company. He said he was as surprised as the rest of the country by the energy trading company's collapse in December, and the subsequent allegations of massive fraud.