WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), the ranking Democrat on the House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee, released the following statement on the indictments handed down by the California Attorney General in the Hewlett Packard spying case:

"Last week ten former HP employees, a private detective firm hired by HP, and telephone pretexters hired by this detective firm invoked their Fifth Amendment rights in order to avoid testifying before Congress under oath about HP's program to spy on its Board, its employees, and several reporters and their families.  Today's announcement by the California Attorney General of indictments against HP's former Chairman, its former Senior Counsel, as well as the detective firm and one of the pretexting firms indicates that prosecutors are beginning to moving forward to address the violations that occurred here. 

“What has not happened yet, however, is Congressional action to increase the penalties for pretexting in order to obtain phone records, outlawing purchases or sales of the Social Security Numbers used to obtain access to phone records or other personal information, or establishing data security protections and new regulations of information brokers.  House Republican leaders refused to take up bills approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee in each of these areas.  We need a need to pursue a new direction in this country that ensures consumers will no longer be vulnerable to intrusions into their families' privacy, either by their employer, by the government, or by criminals seeking to turn information into money."