FBI probes News Corp activities in US
July 15th, 2011 - 12:05 pm ICT by IANSNew York, July 15 (IANS/EFE) The FBI said Thursday that it is looking into the US activities of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation amid the scandal over phone-hacking by one of the media giant’s British newspapers.
“We are aware of the accusations and the FBI has begun an investigation,” a spokesperson at the Bureau’s New York field office told EFE.
The spokesperson declined to say whether the probe would focus on allegations that the now-defunct British tabloid at the heart of the scandal, News of the World, had attempted to access the phones of victims of the Sep 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
News Corp shut down the Sunday tabloid July 10 as new information showed that the extent of illegal activity, first exposed in 2007, was greater than initially known, involving not only phone-hacking of crime victims and their families, but substantial bribes to police.
Murdoch’s US holdings include The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and Fox Television.
On Tuesday, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, called for investigations of News Corp practices in the US to “ensure that Americans have not had their privacy violated”.
Rockefeller’s appeal was echoed Wednesday by Rep. Peter King in a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller.
The congressman, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security, referred to accounts in The Daily Mirror, a competitor of News of the World, that said the Murdoch tabloid had tried to obtain telephone records for some 9/11 victims.
“If these allegations are proven true, the conduct would merit felony charges for attempting to violate various federal statutes related to corruption of public officials and prohibitions against wiretapping,” King said.
–IANS/EFE
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- London police accused of bungling phone-hacking probe - Jul 20, 2011
- Phone hacking: UK police arrest former News of the World editor - Aug 10, 2011
- Rebekah Brooks released on bail - Jul 18, 2011
- Rebekah Brooks arrested? - Jul 17, 2011
- FBI may quiz Murdoch firm over bribe claim - Mar 07, 2012
- 'Humbled' Murdoch denies responsibility for phone hacking (Lead) - Jul 20, 2011
- Phone hacking: UK police arrest former News of the World managing editor - Aug 02, 2011
- News International deliberately blocked probe: MPs' panel (Lead) - Jul 20, 2011
- Cameron says hacking probe to be widened, regrets hiring Coulson (Second Lead) - Jul 20, 2011
- News International CEO Rebekah Brooks quits (Lead) - Jul 15, 2011
- News of the World's ex-managing editor arrested - Aug 03, 2011
- James Murdoch resigns from the board of News Group Newspapers - Nov 23, 2011
- Murdoch admits cover-up at News of the World - Apr 26, 2012
- Rebekah Brooks arrested over phone-hacking allegations (Lead) - Jul 17, 2011
- Five employees of The Sun held in Britain - Feb 11, 2012
Tags: british newspapers, british tabloid, daily mirror, fbi director, fbi probes, felony charges, fox television, house subcommittee, jay rockefeller, media giant, new york post, news of the world, phone hacking, robert mueller, rupert murdoch, scandal news, sep 11 2001, telephone records, wall street journal, west virginia democrat