California files charges against former HP chairman

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has filed legal charges against former HP chairman Patricia Dunn as well as four others involved with HP's investigation of a press leak. 

In addition to Dunn, former HP lawyer Kevin Hunsaker and three private investigators will face indictments on four felony counts.

All will be charged with fraudulently obtaining phone records, unlawfully accessing and using computer data, identity theft and conspiracy charges for all of these crimes.

Dunn has always maintained that she had no knowledge of the methods used in the investigation.

However, Lockyer alleges in his complaint that Dunn actively helped to carry out the illegal acts by providing investigators with the home and mobile numbers of HP board members.

The Attorney General also charged that Dunn knew about the illegal techniques used in the investigation.

All four counts carry a maximum prison sentence of three years. The maximum fine for each of the felonies is $10,000, while the conspiracy charges could carry a fine of $25,000 for the identity theft charge and $10,000 for the other two.

"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."

Lockyer said in September that his office was looking into the matter and stated that "crimes have been committed". 

The indictment is the latest turn in a saga that has included congressional hearings, internal investigations and led to the resignations of Dunn, HP board member George Keyworth and lead counsel Ann Baskins. 

The investigations stem from an internal investigation known as 'Kona 2' that included the use of 'pretexting' to obtain the phone records of HP employees and journalists, as well as the use of spyware programs to track an email between the journalists and HP employees.

HP said that it is cooperating fully with the investigation and declined any further comment.

HP's chief executive and newly appointed chairman Mark Hurd was not named in the complaint.