Thompson's pregnant pause

Sun Times today on KMPG's Marilyn Stitt's response to former Hollinger corporate counsel Mark Kipnis's lawyer about a $15 million paid Conrad Black and other executives,

Stitt said under cross-examination that KPMG brought up the $15 million in non-compete payments at a Feb. 25, 2002, Hollinger International audit committee meeting. She said she believed former Gov. James Thompson indicated that the committee he chaired had approved the payments.

Kipnis' lawyer, Michael Swartz, asked if Thompson told Stitt that he'd never heard of the payments.

"Gov. Thompson didn't say anything," Stitt testified. She said there was a "pregnant pause" before the committee moved on to other matters.