Top bar

About POGO's Federal Contractor Misconduct Database (FCMD)

The government awards contracts to companies with histories of misconduct such as contract fraud and environmental, ethics, and labor violations. In the absence of a centralized federal database listing instances of misconduct, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is providing such data. We believe that it will lead to improved contracting decisions and public access to information about how the government spends hundreds of billions of taxpayer money each year on goods and services. Report an instance of misconduct »

Hewlett-Packard Company

Failure to Immediately Report Defect in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Date: 01/23/2012 (Date of Settlement Announcement)

Misconduct Type: Consumer Affairs

Enforcement Agency: CPSC

Contracting Party: None

Court Type: Administrative

Amount: $425,000

Disposition: Settlement

Synopsis: Hewlett-Packard agreed to pay the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) a $425,000 civil penalty to resolve allegations that HP knowingly failed to timely report to CPSC that certain lithium-ion battery packs contained a defect or created an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. The batteries at issue, used in HP, Toshiba, and Dell notebook computers, can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. The CPSC alleged that by September 2007, HP knew of the occurrence of more than 20 such incidents, at least two of which resulted in injuries, but did not notify the CPSC until July 2008. (Federal law requires notifying the CPSC immediately – within 24 hours – after learning that a product contains a defect that poses a safety hazard.) In agreeing to the settlement, HP denied the CPSC’s allegations.