BOSTON (Reuters) – Hewlett-Packard Co settled claims on Wednesday with four reporters at the heart of a scandal involving claims that the world’s biggest PC maker engaged in corporate espionage to plug a boardroom leak.
Hewlett-Packard and Terry Gross, the attorney representing the journalists, said the company would donate money to several charities chosen by the journalists as part of the terms of the settlement. They did not say how much.
“The matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties, and we are pleased to put this matter behind us,” said Hewlett-Packard spokesman Emma McCulloch.
She said the company was pleased the money would go to charities.
The scandal, which came to light in late 2006, focused on allegations that Hewlett-Packard hired investigators who impersonated reporters, board members and employees to obtain private phone records to find the source of leaks to the media in 2005 and 2006.
NB: The Terry Gross above is presumably not the Terry Gross of NPR/”lesbo-Victorian romp” fame.