Today's Leaked HP Memos: Now, CEO Hurd Implicated In Scandal

from the heard-the-news? dept

Thu, Sep 21st 2006 8:02am — Joseph Weisenthal

Another day, another shoe drops at HP. So far, most of the controversy has centered around Chairman Patricia Dunn and the company's legal team. For the first time, now, information is coming to light that CEO Mark Hurd may have had a direct role in the leak investigation. The Washington Post has obtained memos indicating that Hurd approved of at least some of the tactics involved, such as trailing suspected HP employees home, and planting false stories with reporters in an attempt to get them to reveal sources. These, of course, aren't the most serious aspects, so it's unclear when and what Hurd new about the identity fraud aspect of the investigation. But it's telling that for the first time since the scandal broke, shares of HP are trading sharply down. If it's just a board scandal, it doesn't affect the company's operations too much. But Hurd is widely seen as a savior at HP, turning the company around in his short time at the top. If the scandal grows and it becomes clear that Hurd was directly involved in the more grave actions, the company's legal mess will become a business one as well.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

8 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

fritzthink, 21 Sep 2006 @ 8:22am

The plot thickens.
As the plot thickens with the HP conspiracy, I find myself wondering 'HP isn't exactly known for their innovation. Of all the companies, why did HP go so far to protect there secrets?' Any company would be concerned about leaks. It seems like a bit of over-kill on the part of Dunn and her cohorts, to contemplate infiltrating news rooms or trailing and planting. I can't think of the last time HP came out with a product that I found out about because of a rumor mill. Seems kind of big headed of the HP CEOs to think that there products were coveted.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Scott, 21 Sep 2006 @ 8:34am

Big difference
So far everything Hurd has done, has been acceptable to me. Until I hear he knew more about the actual unacceptable stuff, I'll keep him clear.

But I have to ask, what the hell was this leak about? I hear about the steps they took, which short of a gov't defense contract all seem a bit insane. I can't see following an employee home(but I don't denounce it) over a new print cartridge design or new camera.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 21 Sep 2006 @ 9:18am

What is wrong with you people?
How can you possibly think that lying to get phone records is any more an invasion of privacy than actually having someone SPY on them by trailing them home?

Clearly the investors don't share that thought with you.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Scott, 21 Sep 2006 @ 10:47am
  
  Re: What is wrong with you people?
  People follow me all the time in public. See the difference, on the street I am in public, my phone records are in no way, shape or form public.
  
  Secondly lying to get records seems to imply that they don't have a right to them doesn't it? If I have to lie to get something, that means without the lie I have no right to it.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 21 Sep 2006 @ 11:27am

Leak not worth the scandal.
The irony is that the leak was very general in terms of strategy, the same general strategy that most tech companies have. I thought Dunn was more upset that news they were meeting to talk strategy was leaked.

So what!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Scott W, 21 Sep 2006 @ 6:15pm

Re:Re:What is wrong with you people?
"People follow me all the time in public"

There IS a difference between people behind you going the same direction and people FOLLOWING you. You do understand that?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- nonuser, 21 Sep 2006 @ 6:50pm
  
  Re: Re:Re:What is wrong with you people?
  Say you're a judge in a civil case, perhaps a divorce or dispute between business partners. One side presents some dirt on the other party and, during cross examination, they are forced to acknowledge how they got the information.
  
  A. "We hired private detectives who followed him around for a couple weeks."
  
  B. "We obtained his phone records by illegally pretending to be him."
  
  Response A shows they were playing hardball. Response B is not only not nice, it's plain illegal. There's a big difference.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased), 22 Sep 2006 @ 7:21am

Strategy
I have an inside source on the Microsoft board of directors that told me their strategy is to make millions of dollars this next quarter. I just had to leak the strategy! Couldn't hold it in. Now their secret is out!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]