Responding to allegations from several Washington lawmakers, the FBI has opened an investigation into whether Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. attempted to hack into the telephones of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the families of those who died.
According to federal law enforcement sources, the decision by the FBI's field office in New York to launch the criminal probe came after several members of Congress raised concerns in letters to FBI headquarters, questioning whether reporters for the media empire may have tried to compromise Sept. 11 victims just as they reportedly hacked into the phones of numerous individuals in England.
"We are doing this based on their requests," said an FBI source, who asked not to be identified because the investigation is just getting underway. "But after reviewing the letters and their allegations, and after consultation with the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York, we are proceeding."
At the Department of Justice, officials also acknowledged they are "reviewing" the allegations by Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and others that Sept. 11 victims and families may have been put at risk by News Corp.
"If these allegations are proven true," King wrote in his letter to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III, "the conduct would merit felony charges for attempting to violate various federal statutes related to corruption of public officials and prohibitions against wiretapping. Any person found guilty of this purported conduct should receive the harshest sanctions available under law."
I have to imagine that there are those working at Fox News right now who are trying desperately to clear their email trash bins and clean up their hard drives before the investigation leads the FBI right to their door. Because folks, you just KNOW that this was not something that just took place on the other side of the Atlantic.
I also have to imagine that there are some disgruntled ex-News Corp, and Fox News employees that are more than willing to help the FBI with their case.
Remember when I promised you that this would be a great summer?
Well to be honest there was really NO WAY I could have imagined that it would be THIS great!
Gryphen, I think my heart just started hurting a little. Why? Why would they hack into the phones, emails child murder victims? Why the victims of 911 or their families? I feel like I am on the edge again of Watergate, only with darker consequences: who knew what, and when did they know it? Do you think Murdoch, News Corp could be responsible in some way for some of the terrorist attacks or attempted terrorist attacks, here or overseas? Listening to Springsteen (Devils and Dust). Daisydem here.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if $carah is worried that her little "home studio" might have been bugged, along with her house while they were getting her ready for "prime time"? If she isn't she should be. Who knows what little secrets these people uncovered about the family. Great news, and long overdue that Murdoch was investigated. His US citizenship should be revoked if he is found guilty of even half the dirty deeds that are alleged. Scott McClelland (W's former WH spokesman) said that the WH daily gave Fox Snooze talking points. Seems strange that all the politicians and the so-called reporters all used the same terms.)
ReplyDeleteI'm thoroughly enjoying watching Murdoch EAT IT!!!!
ReplyDeleteAgreed...this is more than I ever could of hoped for!!!
Fingers, toes and eyes crossed and popcorn poppin'!
ReplyDelete(Daisydem, I agree with you on your comment. The absolute truth on that probably won't come out for years and years, when all the players and the generations involved are long gone. Sad and frightening).
This is great news although I hope the investigation into NewsCorp and Murdoch eventually grows. Don't you just know their illegalities went beyond attempting to hack phones of 9/11 victims?
ReplyDeleteAs much as Sarah Lou lives on the Blackberry, she would be a very fertile target.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, if Murdoch gets his slimy ass dragged off to prison in handcuffs, would FauxNews cover THAT?
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to pull a FauxNews style ambush on Chris Wallace and ask that officious little prick to defend his "fair and balanced" network's decision to NOT cover what is turning out to be possibly the biggest story of political corruption in history.
I would just LOVE to goad those smarmy, unctuous on air assholes at FauxNews - O'Reilly, Kelley, Hannity, Cavuto, etc., ad nauseam - to explain their silence. It is a tacit admission that they are indeed an integral part of Murdoch's international crime syndicate. There can be no other explanation.
Because of the rather stunningly rapid pace that Murdoch's world in Britain is collapsing, I predict that his demise on this side of the Atlantic will happen much sooner than we ever could have imagined. I wouldn't put it past Murdoch to try and scuttle all of News Corp to try and save his sorry ass.
Just think of all those talentless, lying, right wing hacks at FauxNews who are suddenly trying to punch up their résumés.
I will have bubbly on ice waiting for the moment when that fetid rat bastard Murdoch finally gets what is coming to him.
Sorry OT -
ReplyDeleteYou guys should see this.
(H/T to Malia Litman, who linked to it in her latest post).
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/07/sarah-palin-bristol-god-on-her-side/1
maybe "they" have bugged her new studio/house, and because of the "evidence" acquired, she is part of the "club"?
ReplyDeleteMurdoch and his ilk have proved time and time again to be anti= 9/11 victims by standing AGAINST those looking for any medical support after their heroic efforts to save fellow Americans. I am not surprised by this, but am happy they may have to pay in a court of law for their illegal activities. Someone I think these actions may be traced directly to the GOP and the money ties that Fox has to the middle East.
ReplyDeleteO/T BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!
Bristol Palin hired as Spokesperson and Model for major US Corporation.
A representative from Coleman Camping equipment has made a statement....."The Coleman company is happy to announce that Bristol Palin, daughter of quitty ex-governor Sarah Palin, has been hired as spokesperson and model with a 3 yr contract". Though no amount of money or length of contract was announced, an unnamed source within the company has stated..."Bristol will be modeling all of our 4 man and larger tents for our online and catalog ads for the upcoming 2012 camping season". ...it is thought that Bristol will pose nude , except for wearing the above mentioned tents.........more info to be released next week.
Sarah Palin Paid Almost $14,000 to Decorate Her Tour Bus and More From SarahPAC’s FEC Report
ReplyDeletehttp://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/07/sarah-palin-paid-almost-14000-to-decorate-her-tour-bus-and-more-from-sarahpacs-fec-report.html
Republican Palin reports low 2011 fundraising
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/14/us-usa-campaign-palin-idUSTRE76D6QR20110714
Palin tosses new log on 'will she run' fire
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/palin-tosses-new-log-will-she-run-fire
You know damn well that Sarah's home is bugged. Just the bit on KO being blackmailed makes one realize that Murdoch has something on everyone near him. Working for him is like selling your soul to the devil. I hope the Palins are crapping worms just thinking about it. More likely, Queen Esther thinks she is so special, nothing like that could possible happen to her.
ReplyDeleteMurdoch still has friends in high places-- he;ll just get the blame shifted to those under him and retire to some Caribbean island and be served and waited on by brown people. He won't mind it as long as they keep their places and his underlings, regardless of them having families and having been at his beck and call all those years, will serve time in federal prisons.
ReplyDeleteIf this investigation bears any fruit, News Corp could lose it's FCC broadcasting licenses, which would mean local Fox affiliates could go bye-bye.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately you can be the biggest scumbag in earth and still broadcast on cable, so Fox News is safe, while WTTG in DC and KTVU in San Jose may be in for some serious trouble.
Hey Mr. Gryphen,
ReplyDeleteI personally think that there are enough Republicans ready for Murdoch and the Tea Party to disappear so they're jumping on the bandwagon to expedite the investigation.
What say you?
Any politician who steps up to defend Murdoch should be suspect. I would guess that he has "information" on all of them, and the ones who defend him have dirt they want kept hidden. J. Edgar Hoover did just that, blackmailed all the people he had bugged to keep them in line. Ol' Roupe looks like he was "beat with the ugly stick" All that money, and he looks like a miserable old goat.
ReplyDeleteI think this is just the tip of a very big iceberg. This man's influence and abuse of power must go deeper than what's already been shown in the UK. The FBI investigating is very serious business, something all his money and power can't influence.
ReplyDeleteCan't happen soon enough. I'm sure Sarah's house was bugged, she's as big a celebrity as they come, and any dirt on her is tabloid worthy. I seriously think they hired her for that purpose alone. Think about it, they played her like a fiddle vs Obama.
Great Summer, all, happy camping!
http://m.cnn.com/primary/_h8hoFU-iPUPXVdXQz
ReplyDeleteGryphen, I have seen that scowl before. Doesn't Murdoch's scowl match the photo of Palin's scowl.
ReplyDeleteCan't she have a professionally styled wig ready for her fox appearances instead of looking like she threw roadkill on her head. She isn't going to get sean hot with that thing.
ReplyDeleteOh my the thought of the Quitter's "home studio" being bugged by Murdoch and his minions is so delicious! Aww....but I'm sure the Toad has that placed "swept" every day for listening devices....remember they are AIP and Paranoid!
ReplyDeleteNow folks, there is a long road to go before we can truly celebrate any demise of Rupert's little evil empire. As much as I would love for him to just shrivel up and die and take Fox with him, it isn't going to happen overnight.
ReplyDeleteBut, having sounded that cautionary note, I'm truly with y'all on this. News Crap is showing that they do the same criminal acts no matter where they are in the world, and it is condoned at the highest levels of the corporation. If evidence is found, they will be in a world of hurt. James Murdoch is already liable under US law for the bribery done in the UK, and he could be looking at 20 years.
And what about that fast track citizenship that Rupe pulled off? I've always had questions about that issue, and if he's guilty of any crimes, I'd love to see it stripped from him. He only has US citizenship now, and Australia isn't likely to take him back.
As for that tropical isle mentioned earlier, is Gitmo close enough? Sunny, warm, nice sandy beaches, all the comforts of a prison. Perfect!
Does anyone remember how Bill O'Reilly use to send out a cameraman & a 'goon' to harass people who disagreed with him?
ReplyDeleteYou remember how Bill always threatened callers & others that he'd send Fox security after them?
Yesterday I read how Roger Ailes used Fox security to spy on his employees at the small community newspaper he & his wife own.
Makes you wonder what else these dirty people at Fox were up to, don't you think?
Gryphen,
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't seen the interview yet of Bristol, the Junior Idiot, then please click on Joe McG's blog and then click on her interview.
Oh, don't forget your barf bag and maybe a stiff drink.
John Dean was on KO last night, discussing possible US criminal investigation of Murdoch/News Corp. His thoughts were that there could be investigation by SEC into accounting practices for evidence of bribes. If found, criminal charges could be brought under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act which prohibits US corporations from paying bribes in foreign countries as a way of doing business.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is fun.
anon 1:31 - I must be slow today, you had me going there for a minute! But I thought I heard it was going to be a joint collaboration with Coleman and Seagram's....
ReplyDeleteMaybe they are listening in on Gryphen since he is on the Paylins enemies list? You never know? (in vision the sounds of a horror movie playing). Are we scared yet? NOT.
ReplyDeleteWe all know AT&T gave phone info to
ReplyDeleteBushco/Cheney to help them track err look for terrorists. It would not be a stretch for me to believe others had the same help from the phone company if Cheney gave the order. Remember that when Cheney traveled he always had FOX news turned on in hotel rooms, etc. I do remember that congress knuckled under to anything Bushco wanted. Big time blackmail or worse...harm to oneself or family.
It wouldn't surprise me if Murdoch "retires" to Saudi Arabia.
ReplyDeleteWhy hack phones? Money. Plain and simple. Whether it was some part of a larger conspiracy or just to find juicy news stories, it ALWAYS boils down to money.
ReplyDeleteanon 3:00
ReplyDeleteThanks for that.I agree.
My other thought is that the phones were hacked to blackmail the government later...if planes were intercepted and passengers offloaded later and either killed in a humane way and those involved let go to a tropical island, then Murdoch could get this info via phone hacking.
Anyone who reads this and thinks these are crazy statements needs to really really delve into the info about 9/11. Absolutely nothing you have been told by the government or MSM is fully truthful. NOTHING. REally smart people who know the nuances of piloting and engineering have spent tens of thousands of hours and written scientific papers proving the offical story is bullshit.
Rebekah Brooks QUIT!
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/murdochs-face-uk-government-inquiry-fbi-probe-news-023113974.html
(yeah, right. Resigned. Voluntarily. I'm sure.)
I guess blood *is* thicker than water.
Or Murdoch Jr. has something on his Dad worse than what Rebekah was holding.
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed (a suspected front man for other Saudi "investors") is calling the shots at News Corp.
ReplyDeleteApparently, he is the one who insisted Rebekah Brooks resign.