Damon Darlin of the NYT reports that more investigators are getting involved in the HP saga:
The United States attorney’s office in San Francisco said it was looking into the methods used by the investigators, which included the questionable if not illegal tactic of “pretexting†— posing as directors and journalists to get their phone records.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce, meanwhile, asked the company to identify the consulting firm it hired for the investigation, the subcontractor that carried out the ruses and all of the targets. It also demanded copies of contracts and legal opinions in the matter.
He also reports that Dunn recused herself from parts of the meeting yesterday, and that Larry Sonsini presided in her absence. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld is left to make the obvious observation:
Mr. Sonsini and his firm were consulted at various points in the investigation, according to the company. As a result, his role at the board meeting was “an odd choice,†said Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management who advises companies on corporate governance. “They have a highly conflicted law firm right now,†he said.
Update: I wish I’d read Kedrosky before I posted today: the HP Board is now leaking about leaking.
Update: The WSJ reports that the FBI is now involved.