Google board member target of SEC action

Google Inc. said on Monday that Ann Mather, a member of its board of directors, may face government accusations of improper dating of stock-option grants at Pixar Animation Studios.

Mountain View-based Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) disclosed in a regulatory filing that Mather, Pixar's former chief financial officer, has been told that the Securities and Exchange Commission's Los Angeles office plans to recommend that the agency take civil action against her.

The SEC is alleging violations of federal securities laws relating to options transactions made while Pixar was an independent company. Pixar now is owned by Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS).

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Disney last year said an inquiry it conducted found that backdating had occurred prior to its acquisition of the company. It said no one now associated with Disney had engaged in intentional misconduct.

At the time, most of the Pixar backdating focus was on Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs, who is the former chief executive officer of Pixar and is on Disney's board.

An Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) investigation concluded Jobs was innocent of any wrongdoing at that company. Two former Apple executives were charged by the SEC in April 2007.