Apple board members back Steve Jobs

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Six Apple board members issued a statement of confidence Wednesday in the Securities and Exchange Commission's investigation's conclusion of a stock options probe into Apple, as well as CEO Steve Jobs' "integrity and ability to lead."

The board members, including former Vice President Al Gore and Google (Charts, Fortune 500) CEO Eric Schmidt, were responding to the claim, made Tuesday by Apple's (Charts, Fortune 500) former CFO, Fred Anderson, that he had allegedly warned Jobs about the a backdated stock option grant.

Anderson, who agreed to settle the case with the SEC without admitting to any alleged wrongdoing, made his accusation about Jobs through his lawyer.

Anderson was told by Jobs that the board had given its prior approval and that the board would legally verify it, according to his statement released Tuesday, which added: "Fred relied on these statements by Mr. Jobs and from them concluded the grant was being properly handled."

Wednesday's statement by Apple's board members showed them to be unbowed.

"The SEC investigated the matter thoroughly and its complaint speaks for itself, in terms of what it says, what it does not say, who it charges, and who it does not charge," the statement said.

"We have complete confidence in the conclusions of Apple's independent investigation, and in Steve's integrity and his ability to lead Apple," the group said in the statement.

Other members of the board include Bill Campbell, Chairman and former CEO Intuit Corp (Charts)., Arthur D. Levinson, Ph. D. Chairman and CEO of Genentech (Charts), and Jerry York Chairman, President and CEO Harwinton Capital.

The options grant issue continues to roil the company.

The SEC said Tuesday it filed a lawsuit accusing Nancy Heinen, the former general counsel of Apple Inc., of participating in the fraudulent backdating of stock options granted in 2001 to Jobs and other senior executives.

Apple, the maker of the popular iPod and Macintosh computers, is among dozens of companies under scrutiny for their accounting of stock options granted to executives. The main issue for many companies is whether they changed the date of stock options grants to take advantage of a temporary decline in the underlying share price.

Apple said in December it would take an $84 million charge for misdating more than 6,400 stock options.

The company previously said an internal review found two questionable options awarded to Jobs but found no wrongdoing by him or other current management.