The faked documents were revealed in a three-month internal probe -- conducted by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges -- that concluded in October, said individuals familiar with the case who requested anonymity because it remains the subject of criminal and civil government investigations. Law.com says that the falsification of documents is perhaps the key issue for government officials trying to determine which of their 100-plus backdating investigations will be pursued as criminal matters and which will be limited to civil SEC inquiries.

Meanwhile, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has hired outside legal help in the matter, the article says. Separate from Apple's lawyers at O'Melveny & Myers, he's reported to have hired his own attorney to deal with the SEC and Justice Department.

As [url=http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/apple_delays_sec_filing_due_to_stock_option_investigation]reported[/url] earlier this month, Apple has delayed filing its annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission due to its ongoing investigation into stock option grants. In a filing with the SEC, the company said it needs to restate historical financial statements to record charges for compensation related to past grants. The stock options scandal involves the backdating of stock-option grants to inflate their value. You can read more [url=http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/al_gore_investigating_apple_stock_options_scandal]here[/url].