Presumably, the fact that "target letters" have been sent to seven ex-Delphi executives by the Securities and Exchange Commission is not a welcome sign for those on the receiving end of that particular communiqué. It's likely that the letters are a step towards civil charges being filed against the individuals for their roles in the accounting scandal that led Delphi to dramatically restate several years of earnings, with an adjustment of over $300M being made to the company's profits prior to its October bankruptcy filing. At this time, it's not clear exactly who is being targeted by the SEC.

The Justice Department may soon be joining the case to toss in some criminal penalties, and several shareholders and retirees have filed their own civil lawsuits against Delphi.

[Source: Detroit News]