Andersen slur leaves TheStreet.com down and out

NEWS Controversial Enron auditor Arthur Andersen has abruptly resigned as accountant for thestreet.com following comments made by one of the publication's journalists. James Cramer, who is a member of the board at TheStreet.com is accused of making comments about Andersen's CEO, Joseph Berardino, on financial news channel CNBC. In a letter included in an SEC filing by thestreet.com, Andersen Executive, Thomas J Duffy said:"[Our resignation] has been directly caused by what we believe to be inappropriate public comments about our chief executive officer and our firm made by a member of your Board of Directors." But chairman and CEO of thestreet.com, Thomas J Clarke hit back. He wrote: "We would think Andersen, of all companies, would be particularly sensitive to the need to stand behind our professional judgments and not cave to external commercial pressures to modify them." TheStreet.com has now switched to rival auditor, Ernst & Young.