It's possible HP will remain unscathed, since noone at HP actually committed any illegal acts. But in an article in todays LA Times, the state attorney general promised charges will be filled hopefully within 2 weeks, but possibly within 2 months.

>It's a lousy case IMO. Anyone politically agile enough to be elected to high political office in California is surely smart enough to give this one a miss. Infighting and dartblowing among board members is nothing new at all, in CA or anywhere else. Using underhanded means like hiring private investigators to bolster one's position on board issues is not unprecedented, either, although rare according to an article in Wednesday's NY Times. As far as I can tell the only thing that has given this story legs is that the boardroom shenanigans were made public. In the clubby world of corporate boardrooms, THAT's news.
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>>The state of CA is chasing after HP now, according to an article in todays LA Times. If the state attorney general is looking for publicity for his career, I would think this would be a good case for him to pursue.
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>>>Perry,
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>>>I expect that kind of thing from the business MBA crowd. After all, their credo is the letter of the law, and anything they can twist to a unique interpretation, they will.
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>>>I also expect that government officials will ALWAYS uphold the SPIRIT of the law. But somehow I get a feeling that today's tone is one of anything goes. I wouldn't be surprised if government investigators employ the same tactics or contract people who will.
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>>>>Has anyone else been paying attention to the HP pretexting scandal. Pretexting is when someone has enough information about an individual, they can pretend to be them when contacting companies and getting personal information.
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>>>>Basically the lady who's CEO of HP now got upset that CNET reported some information on their website that they could only have received thru a member of the board of directors. So, without informing the board, she hired a law firm to investigate.
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>>>>The law firm hired an investigation firm who was able to call up phone companies, supplying SSN's, so they could get copies of phone bills.
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>>>>Now there's proof that reporters at CNET and the Wall St. Journal were victims of pretexting also. As usual HP is contending their law firm assured them pretexting is an acceptable investigative technique.
>>>>
>>>>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14721854/