Perkins resigned after objecting to the fact that HP had spied on directors and members of the media in order to figure out who on the board was leaking rather trivial information to the press.
But HP did not disclose the disagreement, as required under US Securities and Exchange Commission rules, when it told shareholders that Perkins has resigned.
Rather, it made the relevant filing only months later, after Perkins went to a magazine with his story, which subsequently kicked off the scandal and led to Congressional hearings, among other probes.
According to an SEC statement yesterday, HP thought that the fact Perkins had disagreed with chairman Patricia Dunn, rather than with the company per se, meant it was exempt from the regulation.
Not so, said the SEC, issuing a cease and desist order that instructs HP to avoid further violations of the relevant part of the law.
