The HouseEnergyandCommerceCommitteehasasked for moreinformationfrom WorldCom, sincethedocuments it hasexamined so far show that the accountingscandalmaygo backto 1999.
"Early data in the wake of the scandalshow a deeper deterioration" for Mr. Berlusconi's party, Mr. Mannheimer said, adding that recent polling data show only one-third of Italian voters plan to back mainstream parties in the April vote.