FormerHewlett - PackardChairwoman Patricia Dunn was control that methods used by investigators to find the reservoir of leaks from the party ’s board of directors were sound , she told a U.S. Congress subcommittee Thursday .
Dunn also say lawgiver she believed any investigative techniques used during the 2006 portion of the probe had to be approved by HP President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd .
Hurd differentiate lawgiver he did not eff the methods of an inner HP squad investigating the plug-in leaks . He did not read a March report from the team describing its use of pretexting , a practice in which someone puzzle as a customer in gild to gather access to personal records such as telephony log .
“ I pick my pip when I dive for details , ” he enounce . “ This [ investigating ] was not a priority for me . ”
Dunn trusted HP employees and lawyers who tell her the investigation comply with HP ’s high measure of behavior , she secernate the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee . HP has give away that the twelvemonth - older investigating included pretexting to derive the personal records of reporters , HP control board member and employees .
When questions about the investigative techniques surfaced recently , Dunn passed concerns about the probe ’s proficiency to Hurd , she order . Before then , HP ’s intragroup attorney control her the fact-finding techniques were being done “ legally and properly , ” she say .
“ I deeply rue that so many the great unwashed , including myself , were let down ” by trusted HP advisors , she said .
Dunn , who was storm to relinquish last week , told lawmakers she authorise the investigation but did not superintend its surgery . That task fell to the HP legal team , and two of its phallus declined to testify . “ At no time in the investigation did I authorize its methods , ” Dunn said . “ I asked this to be done in the HP standard way . ”
But lawmakers pointed to three document , including the handwritten notes of former HP cosmopolitan direction Ann Baskins , saying Dunn was told of pretexting methods as early as June 2005 . Dunn pronounce she was unaware that police detective were misrepresenting themselves to get personal records until July of this year .
Dunn said she does n’t remember the June 2005 conversation referenced in Baskins ’ note . “ I had no understanding to intend anything illegal was going on , ” she said . “ I had stamp battery of expert telling me that was n’t the case . ”
Representative Cliff Stearns , a Florida Republican , asked Dunn if she should take any blame for the refutable investigatory methods . “ If I make out then what I get laid now , I would have done thing other than , ” she said .
Stearns asked again if she had any blameworthiness . “ I do not have personal responsibility for what happen , ” Dunn answered .
With HP official telling her the investigation method acting were legal , Dunn say she had no honourable concerns , she enjoin . “ I believe these [ investigations ] may be in fact quite coarse , not just at Hewlett - Packard , but at troupe across the country , ” she said .
HP security system investigator Fred Adler said he was not cognizant of any other time when HP has used pretexting , but he believes the HP has used e - mail tracing technology a “ dozen to two twelve ” times for inner investigation in the three years he ’s worked there .
Some subcommittee extremity order Congress needs to pass a young law make clear that the practice session of pretexting is illegal . But several lawmaker suggested the recitation is already illegal under a fistful of federal laws as well as a California law prohibiting the use of false info to get customer information from utilities .
Members of the subcommittee demand how HP , long recognise as a incorporated leader in protect consumer seclusion , could embrace confutative effectual practices such as pretexting .
“ It ’s pretending to be someone you ’re not , to get something you probably should n’t have , to utilise in a direction that ’s plausibly wrong , ” said Representative Joe Barton ( R - Texas ) , chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee .
Barton asked Dunn if she ’d give him her phone records if he just squall and demand for them without a subpoena ad testificandum .
“ In your position , I would give you my telephone set records , ” Dunn tell .
“ Well , praise the Lord , ” Barton enjoin to laughter in the hearing . “ I would n’t give you mine . ”
Ann Baskins , who free earlier Thursday as HP ’s senior vice president and universal direction , and Kevin Hunsaker , the company ’s older legal direction , both asserted their rights not to testify under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution during the hearing .
Eight external detective who allegedly worked with HP to identify the dining table leaks also declined to evidence .
HP also considered couch spyware on reporters ’ computers , get the picture through trash , and put spy into the newsrooms of news organizations account instrument panel details , subcommittee members suppose .
The action taken by HP were “ not the number of one rapscallion employee , ” said Representative Jay Inslee ( D - Wash. ) , indicating that at least some of the politician might not accept the characterization of the events at HP that its chief is set to offer before the subcommittee . In a written variation of his testimony made useable earlier , President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd called the scandal the outcome of a “ rogue investigating . ”
Inslee and Representative Marsha Blackburn ( R - Tenn. ) have co - authored legislation that would prohibit the obtaining of client selective information from telecommunications carriers by mistaken pretenses , and the sales agreement or disclosure of such records incur by false pretenses . Subcommittee Democrats question why the House has n’t vote on the bill , which the committee approved unanimously in other May .
In her chess opening input Blackburn prognosticate pretexting a purposeful travail to cozen and diddle to get selective information one is not entitle to have . “ How prevailing is it in the incarnate council chamber ? ” she ask .
Criminalization of pretexting needs to extend to all forms of telecommunications , said Representative Tammy Baldwin ( D - Wis. ) , adding that legislation must turn to records ranging from ceremonious telecom through mobile and Internet telephony . She called for a “ comprehensive legislative approach ” to cover all sector where pretexting could occur .
