Business

PALO ALTO (AP) ― Key players in Hewlett-Packard Co.'s leak scandal:

_ Patricia Dunn, became a director in 1998, chairwoman in 2005. Ousted Sept. 22 for initiating the boardroom leak probe that has prompted state and federal investigations. Also vice chairwoman of Barclays Global Investors, where she previously served as chairwoman and CEO. The child of a vaudeville actor and a showgirl, Dunn grew up in Las Vegas. She survived breast cancer and melanoma and recently had surgery for a tumor that had spread to her liver. She worked as a freelance journalist after college before taking a temporary secretarial job at Wells Fargo Investment Advisors.

_ Mark Hurd, director since 2005, when he became HP's CEO and president. Named chairman Sept. 22 after Dunn stepped down. Previously CEO of NCR Corp. Low-key Midwesterner hired by the board under Dunn's leadership in 2005 to revive HP's sagging stock price and slumping morale. Hurd was briefed in March on the findings of the leaks investigation but said he did not read a written report that outlined the techniques _ including "pretexting," the practice of impersonating a person in order to access their private information. News reports have also linked Hurd to a plot to dupe a reporter by sending bogus e-mail news tips.

_ George Keyworth II, became an HP director in 1986. Resigned Sept. 12 after acknowledging he was a source of a media leak. Science adviser to President Reagan and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from May 1981 to January 1986. Director of the Physics Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory, which he joined in 1968. Acknowledged speaking to reporters and was barred by the company from seeking re-election in 2007.

_ Richard Hackborn, HP director since 1992 and chairman from January 2000 to September 2000. Named lead independent director when Dunn stepped down. Primary adviser and mentor to ex-CEO Carly Fiorina. He spent 33 years at HP, rising from laboratory engineer to vice president for the company's computer products from 1990 until his retirement in 1993. Previously served on the board at Microsoft Corp.

_ Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr., HP director since 2002. Vice chairman and president of Verizon Communications Inc., which earlier this year filed fraud lawsuits against Web-based businesses that it says engaged in pretexting. He's a board member at Verizon, HP, and the foodservice company Aramark Corp.

_ Robert P. Wayman, HP director from 1993 to 2002. Rejoined board in 2005. HP's CFO since 1984. Interim CEO in early 2005, after Fiorina was fired and before Hurd's hiring. Joined HP in 1969 as a cost accountant. Director for Con-Way Inc. and Sybase Inc.

_ Thomas J. Perkins, resigned from board of directors in May after discovering HP's investigators used possibly illegal methods to gain home phone records of directors, journalists and other targets. Pressured HP to publicly disclose the reason for his departure. HP co-founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard invited Perkins to become the administrative head of the research department in 1963. First general manager of HP's computer divisions. Co-founded one of Silicon Valley's first venture capital firms, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, in 1972. Has been a director of Applied Materials Inc., Compaq Computer Corp., Corning Inc., Genentech Inc., and Philips Electronics and Tandem Computers Inc.

_ Ann O. Baskins, HP's general counsel who resigned Thursday. The company's top lawyer, Baskins' office oversaw the leak investigation using investigators from HP's global security team and outside contractors. Resigned amid criticism she failed to protect the company's interests. E-mails suggest she assured others of the probe's legality. Joined HP's legal department in 1982 and named general counsel in 2000.

_ Kevin Hunsaker, HP's former chief ethics officer. Reported directly to Baskins and directed the second leak investigation that used pretexting to obtain phone records. Left the company Sept. 26.

_ Larry Sonsini, HP's outside counsel. Reviewed HP's investigation after it was completed. Initially told Tom Perkins in an e-mail that the probe appeared to have been "well done and within legal limits." Later said he delivered that opinion based on information from HP's legal department before his firm had a chance to thoroughly review the case. Sonsini then changed his tune, and HP disclosed in Securities and Exchange Commission filing that Sonsini's firm couldn't confirm that the tactics of the outside investigators "complied in all respects with applicable law."

_ Ronald DeLia, investigator with Security Outsourcing Solutions Inc., a detective firm and longtime HP contractor commissioned to conduct the leak probe. DeLia's firm also participated in the inconclusive 2005 HP investigation into boardroom leaks.

_ Vincent Nye, a senior investigator in HP's global security department. Sent a Feb. 7 e-mail to his boss Anthony Gentilucci warning that he had "serious reservations" about the tactics, saying they could be illegal and should be halted immediately. It's not clear how Gentilucci responded. Gentilucci resigned Sept. 25.

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