IDENTITY THEFT BY HEWLETT PACKARD BOARD - PART III.

The Wall Street Journal today revealed that its reporters had been included in the identity theft efforts of HP in attempting to stop board room leaks. The impersonation crime committed by HP was directed not at just its directors, but at others outside the company including reporters.

Additional details were revealed by the major financial newspapers as well as by the local press. One surprising element was the apparent belief of HP Director and Silicon Valley power Broker Larry Sonsini (the lead partner in the lawfirm of Wilson. Sonsini) that the “pretexting” was proper. The full details of this regrettable error in corporate judgment can be found in other sources.

However, laws covering “pretexting” and the impersonation crime committed by HP are not as vague as HP’s defenders would have us believe. The legal restrictions are clear in both federal and California law. California Attorney General said today that state investigators now believe there was criminal activity involved in the methods used to search records. We will cover the details of these legal requirements as we continue to follow developments at HP.