Congress to subpoena private investigator
WASHINGTON--Congress plans to subpoena Ron Delia, a private investigator and a central figure in Hewlett-Packard's now-famous leak-hunting investigation.
In an interview Wednesday night, Rep. Bart Stupak, a Michigan Democrat, said the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee planned to issue a subpoena, and a committee aide confirmed that a subpoena for Delia was forthcoming. The committee has scheduled a Sept. 28 hearing into the HP matter and has requested that four others, including Hewlett-Packard Chairman Patricia Dunn, appear.
HP's boardroom drama
Delia, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening, operates Boston-based Security Outsourcing Solutions and was among a team of investigators hired by HP to help locate the source of news leaks. HP has acknowledged that personal phone records of board members, two HP employees and at least nine journalists, including three CNET News.com reporters, were accessed without their permission.
California's attorney general has said he has enough information to bring charges against those inside HP, as well as the contractors hired by the company.
Delia, a former prosecutor, notified the committee after being asked to appear that he'd be reluctant to testify.
The Energy and Commerce Committee was apparently preparing to compel witnesses to testify when it announced Wednesday that it was considering whether to grant its chairman the power to issue subpoenas in connection with the committee's investigation into pretexting.
The committee already has subpoena power, but Chairman Joe Barton, a Texas Republican, is seeking the power to issue subpoenas without first calling a business meeting of the committee. If approved, all that would be needed now to compel those involved in the HP investigation to testify is the approval from the ranking Democrat on the committee.
