scandal-stained wretches

U.S. Prosecutors Invite News Corp. to Get in Touch

Don’t let the many varieties of British legal reaction to the News of the World phone-hacking scandal fool you: News Corp. is an American company, and therefore subject to good old American justice. While Attorney General Eric Holder has said that there is “no proof” (so far) to support allegations that NotW staffers broke into the phone records of 9/11 victims, it seems the Justice Department is not finished with its investigation of the Murdoch empire. According to a Bloomberg report, News Corp. received a letter — not a subpoena! — from American officials requesting details related to payments NotW’s reporters allegedly made to U.K. police officers in exchange for tips. Such information could be used to prosecute the company for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which forbids U.S. businesses from bribing foreign officials in order to achieve commercial gain. Meanwhile, in not-unrelated news: Scotland Yard announced that it will cease efforts to force Guardian reporters to reveal their phone-hacking scandal sources.

News Corp. Said to Get Letter From U.S. Prosecutors Probing Foreign Bribes [Bloomberg]
UK police drop bid to make paper reveal hacking sources [Reuters]

U.S. Prosecutors Invite News Corp. to Get in Touch