When I first wrote that the MNGOP was using “Enron-style accounting,” it was meant as just a simple metaphor for their made-up budget numbers. But in a hilarious turn of events, it appears that the state government budget bill numbers were actually produced by Enron’s accountants.

Sally Jo Sorenson at Bluestem Prairie has the amazing story. First, committee chair Mike Parry acknowledged that one of the primary sources of the MNGOP’s budget numbers is consulting firm Accenture. And just who is Accenture? As it turns out:

Formerly the consulting division of Arthur Andersen, which dissolved due to its role in the Enron scandal. Accenture was spun off before the scandal following an acrimonious falling out and protracted legal dispute with Andersen.

On a more substantive level, how has Anderson Consulting/Accenture fared with its efforts to save state governments money through privatization? It’s been an absolute disaster, proving that we should definitely be skeptical of their promises of savings. There’s a wealth of information on Anderson Consulting/Accenture’s failures over at Bluestem Prairie.

Image: the most accurate depiction of the MNGOP budget yet.