HP: Hewlett-Packard or Hurd Paid?

Jodie Fisher, the woman whose relationship with Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd forced his resignation Friday, came forward yesterday.

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Fisher, a 50-year-old actress and businesswoman, was contracted by HP’s marketing department numerous times over the course of two years from 2007 to 2009 to organize events and make introductions between executives at them.

After Fisher filed a sexual harassment suit, HP began an internal investigation to examine it. While the results deemed the suit without merit, it did turn up something else: falsified expense reports, including dinners Hurd took Fisher to and wrote off on his expense account.

In addition to Hurd’s resignation, a settlement was paid to Fisher directly by Hurd.

Despite the obvious signs, both Fisher and Hurd claim there was no sex involved.

“I was surprised and saddened that Mark Hurd lost his job over this,” Fisher said in a statement. “That was never my intention.”

Don’t be sad, Jodie. Hurd walks away with a $12.6 million severance package, including more stock options than a coachbuilt car. Not that he doesn’t deserve them–the guy turned HP from a buy-our-printers-and-ink company to one selling an entire line of computers and, with its recent acquisition of Palm, a bright future in the mobile space. And unlike so many other CEOs, his discretions didn’t come at the cost of his company’s downfall.