PALO ALTO: Hewlett Packard has agreed to pay $14.5 million to settle a state civil lawsuit claiming the tech company used illegal tactics to investigate a boardroom leak.
The PR team at HP is not commenting on communications aspects of the news, beyond a press release issued Thursday.
"We are pleased to settle this matter with the Attorney General and are committed to ensuring that HP regains its standing as a global leader in corporate ethics and responsibility," said Mark Hurd, HP chairman and CEO said in the release.
There was no fault-finding in the agreement. The money will finance a new law enforcement fund to fight violations of privacy and intellectual property rights, and help adopt corporate governance reforms, said Bill Lockyer, California attorney general.
Lockyer is at the end of his term. Former Gov. Jerry Brown was elected state attorney general in November.
