Reaction in Bernie Ebbers’ hometown was mixed, but generallystill supportive, Monday as the former WorldCom CEO chose to remainsilent before a House panel investigating almost $4 billion infraudulent accounting at the telecommunications giant.

In a brief opening statement before the House Financial ServicesCommittee, Ebbers said he did not believe he had anything tohide.

”I believe that no one will conclude that I engaged in anycriminal or fraudulent conduct,” Ebbers said.

Ebbers then invoked his Fifth Amendment rights againstself-incrimination to every question posed by members of the panel.That response may leave the former leader’s involvement open tospeculation.

“What it does is raises suspicion,” said one local legalscholar, who asked not to be identified.

However, he also said there may be legitimate reasons for Ebbersnot answering questions now. He said it could allow Ebbers time toget more information to better answer them later.

Rep. Ronnie Shows, D-Miss. and a member of the House panel, saidhe believed it was a “mistake” for Ebbers to speak and then invokethe Fifth Amendment.

“When you take the Fifth, you’re not to say anything,” Showssaid in a telephone interview this morning.

Some members sought to have Ebbers found in contempt, but therewere some legal questions that had to be researched. Shows said hedid not know what would happen with that, but he expected a fairdecision.

Shows said many on the panel were dealing with constituents whohad lost jobs in the wake of the WorldCom collapse, and they were”out for blood.” He indicated that was not a party issue.

“The Republicans jumped on him just as hard as the Democrats…”Shows said. “Mississippi has not been hit as hard with unemploymentas some others have.”

After Ebbers invoked his rights, Shows said there no need to askhim questions.

“I think people just want to know the truth, then we’ll go fromthere,” Shows said.

Shows spoke about giving WorldCom a chance and a hope that newleadership and pending legislation would address problems. He saidaccountability was the primary concerns for many people.

“I don’t want all the big guys to walk away with the money andthe little guys walk away with nothing,” Shows said.

Shows said there must be accountability not only for corporationleaders, but also accountants, auditors and boards of directors. Headded there must be severe penalties for those found to have donewrong.

Shows said there are tough times in the telecommunicationindustry.

He also said there must not be a “witch hunt,” and a Mississippicompany should not be singled out for investigation. He mentionedEnron and other corporations that need review.

“Apparently, it’s pretty widespread,” Shows said.

Danny Dunnaway, who was an original investor when WorldCom, thenLDDS, was founded almost 20 years ago, defended Ebbers’ decision totake the Fifth. He cited the current legal and judicial system inthe country.

“I don’t know of anybody who would be forthcoming,” Dunnawaysaid. “You really don’t have much choice.”

Dunnaway, who is no longer associated with the company, saidthere remains a presumption of innocence, and he indicated thatshould be maintained despite the media attention surrounding thecase. Ebbers has not been charged with any offense.

“There’s been no evidence brought yet…,” Dunnaway said. “Idon’t think you can try people on TV.”

Dunnaway said Ebbers remains a friend, and he hurt for him andothers participating in the televised proceedings Monday.

“I was a little embarrassed for some of the elected officialsthere… I thought they could be civil,” Dunnaway said.

Some other original LDDS investors did not make any statementswhen contacted Monday. Carl Aycock, a member of the WorldCom boardof directors, and Max Thornhill, a former member, had nocomment.

Prior to Monday’s appearance, the only public comment Ebbers hasmade was to his church family at Easthaven Baptist Church onSunday, June 30. Despite the decision not to answer questions, adeacon said the church’s support for Ebbers has not wavered.

“My opinion of him hasn’t changed at all,” said Duane Allred.”When it’s all said and done, I think you’re going to find that hehasn’t done anything wrong.”

Allred, who watched some of the hearing on television, calledsome of the panelists’ comments “ludicrous” and “pot shots.”

Regarding the collapse of WorldCom’s stock price, Allred saidinvestors could have sold their stock earlier. Allred said no oneparticipating in the hearing had any direct input in the overallcollapse of the telecommunications industry.

“If the telecommunications industry was still up, I don’t thinkthe hearing would be going on,” Allred said.

With Ebbers and others not answering questions,Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce ExecutiveVice-President Chandler Russ said said the panel and world “didn’tlearn much” from Monday’s hearing.

Russ then offered an economic take on the situation. Russ saidthe important thing to remember is Brookhaven has developed itselfas a regional provider of goods and services, and WorldCom’sstruggling situation would not change that.

“Today’s events really had no effect on the local economy,” Russsaid.

Charlotte Nichols said her customers at the Brookhaven BarberShop wanted to hear more.

”I don’t think anybody’s too happy about it right now, that hetook the Fifth,” Nichols said. ”And they won’t be until they knowwhere the money went.”

Most of Nichols’ customers have supported Ebbers the past twoweeks. But as the testimony – or lack of it – unfolded on a smalltelevision in her shop Monday, Nichols said there was somegrumbling.

”Tomorrow it might change again, but as of today there’s been awhole different tone,” she said.

Buddy Allen, a Brookhaven alderman, called Ebbers ”a fine,upstanding man.”

”He’s helped a lot of people. He’s helped a lot of churches,”Allen said.

Allen said he doesn’t mind that Ebbers took the Fifth, giventhat his lawyer advised it. Allen, who never owned any WorldComstock, said if Ebbers were found guilty of a crime, his opinionmight change.

Sam Hudgins’ opinion has already changed. The owner of Hudgey’sFamily Restaurant in Brookhaven, Hudgins says he stands to lose a”substantial” amount of money from WorldCom’s collapse. He wantedto hear more from Ebbers on Monday.

”I figure since the Enron case, they already learned the ropes,that there was going to be a lot of Fifths,” he said.

Hudgins said he couldn’t decide if he thought Ebbers knew whatwas going on all along.

”There’s definitely fraud in this situation,” he said. ”Todetermine whose guilty – that’s what we have courts for.”

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)