James Murdoch is lying, say ex-NotW staff


by Sunny Hundal    
8:00 am - July 22nd 2011

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This could be potentially lethal for James Murdoch.

The New York Times reports:

Two former News International executives publicly contradicted James Murdoch’s testimony to a parliamentary committee, saying Thursday that they told him of evidence in 2008 that suggested that phone hacking at one of the company’s tabloid newspapers was more widespread.

The former executives said they informed Mr. Murdoch at the time that he was authorizing an unusually large secret settlement of a lawsuit brought by a hacking victim.

The problem for Murdoch is that the employees aren’t just anyone – they are Colin Myer (the last editor) and Tom Crone, the former News International legal manager.

The Guardian reports:

Colin Myler, editor of the paper until it was shut down two weeks ago, and Tom Crone, the paper’s former head of legal affairs, said they had expressly told Murdoch of an email that would have blown a hole in its defence that only one “rogue reporter” was involved in the phone-hacking scandal.

This contradicts what Murdoch told the committee when questioned on Tuesday.

The trap was laid by Tom Watson, who asked at the Select Committee hearing:

“When you signed off the Taylor payment, did you see or were you made aware of the full Neville email, the transcript of the hacked voicemail messages?”

James Murdoch replied: “No, I was not aware of that at the time.”

Now he is accused of misleading the Select Committee by prominent former employees.

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About the author
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments


1. Cylux

But what about the mirror eh? Look! It’s a lefty paper! It might have done sone hacking too! No, ignore the piles of evidence mounting up over here, look at the Mirror instead!

2. Tim Fenton

Ah yes, the Mirror – I’m waiting for Staines and Cole to do another Mirror bashing post, this time on Angus Deayton.

Of course the Mirror may have been at it, as may the Mail. Problem is there are still a lot of folks out there trying to play it as right versus left.

Murdoch Junior could be in the mire on this. And if anyone at other papers was at it, they could be in the mire at some later time.

3. Left Outside

*Gets Popcorn*

As an side, oh I love how annoyed the righties are getting at how much we’re enjoying this.

Ah, the wailing, the knashing of teeth, the sweet taste of your enemies tears!

4. steveb

1
This thread is about whether Murdoch jnr lied to the Select Committee, not whether any other paper has been involved with phone hacking. And even if every other journo did it, what has that got to do with Murdoch telling porkies?

5. Cylux

@4 You might want to re-read my comment in a sarcastic voice, failing that, go through the comments on other threads relating to “Hackgate” and notice how the Mirror gets introduced into the comments, generally by right-wing apologists for Mr Murdoch.

6. steveb

5
Identification of sarcasm fail.

7. Watchman

Can I say I want to see the Mirror investigated, I am right wing, and I am very glad to see News International taking such a hit. It is two different issues as to whether you like News International or not, and whether you believe that the other papers (all of them to some extent) need to be brought to book for their own illegal activities.

Incidentally, for any right v left people here, how do you classify the much-more-liberal-than-his-father Mr Murdoch? He would actually be a prime target for radical right-wingers opposed to liberal consensuses (or conservative consensuses for example) as well as left-wingers. Personally, I just think News International and Newscorp are too powerful (or were believed to be), so it is good to see a reckoning.

8. Sunny Hundal

As an side, oh I love how annoyed the righties are getting at how much we’re enjoying this.

Heh! THIS

9. Cylux

@7 If you want to bring them ALL to book you ain’t going bring any of them to book. Who do you think will win between a contest of wills between all the press barons united and our normally compliant-toward-the-press politicians and law enforcement? The whole point of casting the net wider at this stage is to let the NI fish squirm free.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
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  8. temaris

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  15. The Murdochs get grilled, Glasman alienates Labour on immigration, and the Eurozone steps back from the abyss: Round up of political blogs for 16 – 22 July | British Politics and Policy at LSE

    [...] Channel Four’s Jon Snow asks if the phone-hacking scandal is Britain’s Watergate and Daniel Goodliffe of Labour List optimistically looks ahead to a media landscape without Murdoch. Tuesday’s Select Committee hearings offered politics the chance to come of age writes the Guardian. Lib Dem Voice praises the work of the Select Committee members, not to mention Wendi Deng Murdoch and her right hook. On Friday, Sunny Hundal at Liberal Conspiracy reports that James Murdoch may have misled the Select Committee. [...]





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