Hewlett-Packard chief financial officer Robert Wayman said he feels
"personally violated" that a voicemail message from company
chairwoman and chief executive Carly Fiorina was leaked to the
press.
He is infuriated by charges that HP management bought support in
the shareholder vote on the merger with Compaq.
Wayman's comments were made in an e-mail to employees that the
company said it will file with the US Securities and Exchange
Commission.
HP said the company's internal security team was working with
"outside security consultants" to determine if any laws were broken
in the leak of the voicemail. If so, the company will go to the
appropriate authorities.
The statement came a day after a voicemail from Fiorina to Wayman
was leaked to the
San Jose Mercury News and later
disseminated around the Web. In the voicemail, Fiorina says she was
worried about the outcome of the merger vote.
Wayman said the leak of the voicemail "represents the unauthorised
distribution of confidential company information".
"Not only do I feel personally violated, but it is illegal and
damaging to the company and your fellow employees," Wayman wrote.
"We are vigorously investigating this breach along with others that
have occurred in recent weeks and we intend to prosecute these
matters to the fullest extent of HP policy and applicable law."
Wayman also addressed charges in a lawsuit brought by HP board
member and merger opponent Walter Hewlett that HP's management
coerced Frankfurt-based Deutsche Bank to switch 17 million votes it
had originally cast against the merger. Hewlett's suit, filed last
month, charges that Deutsche Bank did not make the switch until HP
made it the co-arranger of a multibillion-dollar line of credit.
"Frankly, I find these allegations both insulting and infuriating,"
Wayman wrote. "Neither Carly nor I would ever act improperly in any
business matter - much less use business assets to secure votes."
In the voicemail, Fiorina is heard telling Wayman that she is
worried that Deutsche Bank and Northern Trust will cast their final
votes against the merger. She tells Wayman they must get on the
phone on Monday morning and "do something extraordinary for those
two" to ensure they vote for the merger.
HP yesterday said the voicemail does not point to any wrongdoing by
Fiorina.
Wayman wrote that all that Fiorina's comments show is that HP's
management was working hard up to the last minute to make sure the
merger succeeds.