Tribune's ex-CEO wiped his drive on way out the door

Tribune Company has asked a bankruptcy judge to permit lawyers to gather information via discovery from former chief executive Randy Michaels, who the company says wiped data and e-mails from his company laptop and phone. That was with lawsuits pending, including one by ex-Los Angeles Times employees, and a complex bankruptcy proceeding underway. From Courthouse News Service:

A forensic examination could not retrieve anything from the laptop, and Michaels told Tribune "that he had downloaded a program from the internet called 'Eraser' to wipe his drive," according a motion Tribune filed on Friday.

The forensic examiner did recover 15 sensitive e-mails from Michaels' smart phone, according to the filing. Tribune also said it is searching for copies of Michaels' e-mails on its servers, and has already recovered a back-up tape from September 2009 that will restore Michaels' files.

Michaels resigned from Tribune following a scathing New York Times article in October that said the venerable Tribune "came to resemble a frat house, complete with poker parties, juke boxes and pervasive sex talk" under Michaels' leadership.

What a guy.