HP Dunn: I'm Ignorant, Innocent, and A Victim of Congress

Patricia Dunn, the chair of HP who resigned over a spy scandal, told Congress in written testimony prior to tomorrow's hearing that she thought that phone records could be "obtained from publicly available sources in a legal and appropriate manner."

After pleading ignorance as her defense, Dunn goes on to blame Congress for not making it clear that fraud was illegal and urged Congress to either give companies the right to snoop around the private records of its directors or empower the FBI to hunt down rogue employees who talk to the press without clearing it with the company's PR flack (p.32 in this pdf).

Let me state clearly that it would be another in the string of tragedies here if it were to be concluded that companies do not have the right to protect themselves against disclosure violations. We have all learned that companies turn to investigators to do this important work.

I would hate to think that any chairman or director of a public company would ever face the problem I faced with the result that has ensued. I therefore urge Congress to consider legislation that would provide not only clear-cut rules on "pretexting" or any other threat to individual privacy, but will give companies like HP legitimate and sanctioned way of pursuing their responsibilities to protect their intellectual property and confidentiality.

As an example, had there been an agency of law enforcement to which HP could turn to pursue a fully lawful, sanctioned and protected investigation, based on a set of demonstrable threats to its governance arising from the unauthorized disclosure of boardroom confidences, this series of events would not have occurred.

Tune in tomorrow morning for continuous coverage of the hearing here at 27B.

Photo: theliar