Catchin’ On
When USA Today runs an article outlining the AG litigulatory MO—in this case Bill Lockyer’s investigation of Hewlett-Packard—one starts to hope that the jig is up.
Lockyer’s law-less approach is clearly suspect in the article, “There’s no one California law against the practice, called ‘pretexting.’ But Lockyer’s staff is considering prosecuting under fraud laws, including those that prohibit identity theft and unauthorized use of computer data.”
And the article captures the equally pertinent political score, “But independent tech analyst Rob Enderle says Lockyer may be going after HP mainly for publicity in an election year.”
HP is headquartered in California, making this AG sweep at least somewhat less egregious than most. However, the article also places the investigation squarely in the legal-economic context that undermines all AG claims to righteousness: “The Department of Justice, FBI, House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Securities and Exchange Commission also have launched inquiries.” So, while Lockyer and Massachusetts AG Tom Reilly roust about for loose change in Hewlett’s couch, they also interfere with an integrated federal investigation.
And this is by design, folks. Enjoy your weekend.