Between being investigated for fraud by U.S. attorneys in New York, and being sued by shareholders seeking millions in lost investment dollars, it's been a bad couple of months for U.S. Technologies CEO Gregory Earls. (Who's Who).

Between being investigated for fraud by U.S. attorneys in New York, and being sued by shareholders seeking millions in lost investment dollars, it's been a bad couple of months for U.S. Technologies CEO Gregory Earls. Earls's name hit The New York Times' front page in November, when it was revealed that William Webster, who had been appointed head of the government's new Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, had headed U.S. Technologies audit committee. Webster later followed Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Harvey Pitt--who had promoted Webster's appointment to the accounting oversight board--in tendering his resignation. But there's at least one other Washington heavy hitter who's tight with Earls: D.C. mayor Anthony Williams. Back in June 2000, Earls teamed up with CNN talking head Bill Press, Washington tennis pro Kathy Kemper, and Fannie Mae CEO Franklin Raines on a fundraiser for Williams. Later, Williams used Earls's downtown office to make fundraising calls.