INVESTIGATION
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News Corp Paid $1.6M to Hide Journos' Crimes
Tabloid hacked thousands of phones of stars, politicians
By Jason Farago
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Posted Jul 9, 09 6:27 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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The British subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp paid out more than $1.6 million in out-of-court settlements to conceal illegal methods deployed by its journalists, including hacking cell phones, a Guardian investigation reveals. Phone-hacking charges were first raised in 2007 in a case involving Prince William, but suppressed police evidence shows that Murdoch's News of the World hired private investigators for hundreds of hacks to expose celebrities, sports stars, and even the former deputy prime minister.
The revelations raise difficult questions for News Corp execs, several of whom misled investigators and the public; the London police, who knew of the hacking but failed to inform victims or pursue charges; and Tory leader David Cameron, whose top adviser was editor of the News of the World when the alleged crimes took place. In Sun Valley, Murdoch denied any knowledge of the affair, but a former editor at his Sunday Times called the news "one of the most significant media stories of modern times."