Charges filed against HP''s Dunn, others in leak scandal

05 Oct 2006

Attorney General, Bill Lockyer, of the US State of California has announced that felony charges have been filed against former Hewlett-Packard Co. chairman Patricia Dunn, a former HP legal counsel and three private investigators for their roles in the company''s boardroom leak scandal.

"One of our state''s most venerable corporate institutions lost its way, as its board sought to find out who leaked confidential company information to the press," Lockyer said in a statement. "In this misguided effort, people inside and outside HP violated privacy rights and broke state law." He went on to say that "…those who crossed the legal line must be held accountable."

Dunn''s attorney responded immediately issuing a statement calling the charges false. Her attorney said that Dunn, "will fight these charges with everything she has."

"These charges are being brought against the wrong person at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons," said Dunn''s attorney Jim Brosnahan. "They are the culmination of a well-financed and highly orchestrated disinformation campaign."

Dunn, and others along with her, face the same set of felony charges, which all relate to the use of "pretexting."This, according to the state''s complaint, involved using "false and fraudulent pretenses" to obtain phone billing records from telephone carriers of 12 people, journalists, HP board members and HP employees.

Early last month details about the boardroom leak investigation emerged publicly after the company disclosed it in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.