HP leak probe scandal claims more scalps

Two HP employees whose names have come up as central figures in the leak probe scandal have now left the company.

HP has confirmed that investigator Tony Gentilucci and senior counsel Kevin Hunsaker have left the company.

Hunsaker left HP, effective on Tuesday, a company representative said. The representative couldn't say whether Hunsaker resigned or was terminated. Gentilucci has resigned, effective on Tuesday, the representative said.

At a press conference on Friday, HP's outside lawyer said Hunsaker supervised the second phase of HP's leak probe, which included physical surveillance of a reporter and a director, as well as a bogus email tip and unauthorised access of phone records. The lawyer, Mike Holston of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, also said Gentilucci provided the Social Security number of an HP employee to outside investigators for the purpose of obtaining his or her telephone records.

Both men have been subpoenaed to appear at a congressional hearing that takes place on Thursday. Also scheduled to testify are HP CEO Mark Hurd and former chairman Patricia Dunn, who stepped down from HP's board on Friday. General counsel Ann Baskins, who HP lawyers said received email updates on the investigation, remains in her post, an HP representative said on Tuesday.

The company has said that as part of its effort to determine the source behind leaks to the press, outside investigators working for HP obtained the telephone records of more than a dozen people using false pretences, a practice known as pretexting. Among those targeted were several board members, nine journalists, two employees and an unspecified number of others.

Separately, a group of large public pension funds said on Tuesday they have filed a proposal aiming to allow shareholder-nominated candidates to run for HP's board alongside company-nominated candidates. In a statement, the pension funds said they "are concerned with the board's handling of an investigation into an information leak and its potential negative impact on shareholder value".

The funds, which collectively own more than 30 million HP shares, include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Pension Funds; the Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds; the New York State Common Retirement Fund; and the North Carolina Retirement Systems.

Ina Fried writes for CNET News.com