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Hewlett-Packard Chairwoman Resigns, CEO Says
Dunn’s Departure Is Effective Immediately
PALO
ALTO, Calif. (Sept.06) – Hewlett-Packard Co. shoved Chairwoman Patricia
Dunn off its board Friday, severing its ties to a leader whose efforts
to plug a media leak morphed into a spying scandal that has spawned
criminal and congressional investigations.The Palo Alto, Calif.-based
company will turn the chairmanship over to its chief executive, Mark
Hurd, who was supposed to take over that job in January as part of
changes announced two weeks ago.But things have changed since then amid
a wave of leaked documents revealing how deeply HP’s investigators
intruded into the personal lives of seven directors, nine journalists,
two employees and family members of those targeted individuals. Dunn
authorized the investigation and received regular updates, although she
said she didn’t realize HP’s investigators were going to such
extremes.”Now that we know the depth of what has transpired, I take
full accountability to drive the actions to set it right,” Hurd said at
a Friday news conference to announce Dunn’s departure as well as review
what the company has learned about its spying program.Dunn had
previously planned to remain an HP director after relinquishing the
chairmanship in January, but now she is leaving the board entirely.
“I
continue to have the best interests of HP at heart and thus I have
accepted the board’s request to resign,” Dunn said in a Friday
statement.Dunn, 53, continued to defend her decision to initiate the
probe to identify the boardroom leak and reiterated her intention to
appear Thursday before a congressional panel looking into HP’s spying
spree.Determined to protect confidential board discussions, Dunn hired
investigators who impersonated board members, employees and journalists
to obtain their phone records. The detectives also surveilled an HP
director and concocted an e-mail sting to dupe a reporter for CNet
Networks Inc.’s News.com, an online technology site.Hurd on
Friday acknowledged authorizing the bogus e-mail, but said he didn’t
recall approving the use of software to trace the reporter’s
computer.California Attorney General Bill Lockyer and several federal
agencies are investigating whether HP and its executives broke any laws
in their crusade.Hurd so far isn’t among the group of HP insiders that
Lockyer expects to charge, spokesman Tom Dresslar said Friday. But the
attorney general is still examining Hurd’s role in the scandal. “We are
not ruling anybody out in terms of criminal culpability, Dresslar
said.Hurd also said Friday he plans to appear at the hearing being held
by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Dunn and General Counsel
Ann Baskins, who also played a central role in the spying program,
previously accepted the panel’s invitation to appear.
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