John Ward July 20, 2011 Newscorp guilty of obstructing justice: OFFICIAL

Humble pie and soft soap from the Murdochs, but hard facts from the Home Affairs Committee..

Becky Redtop….comatose from 2002-2010

OFFICIAL: NEWSCORP OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE

The Slog’s old adage applies: ‘Watch not what they say, but what they do’.

“I’m the best person to clean this up.” (R. Murdoch) Where had we heard that phrase before? Oh yes, Gordon Brown.

“You know, I’d like to help but, um, I didn’t arrive until some months later” (J. Murdoch). Blairblaming: Gordon McCavity again.

“Those were things I either left to subordinates, or the Managing editor dealt with”. (R. Brooks). Iraqwashing: more from the Brownshirt.

Rupe testified yesterday to the effect that he liked Gordon Brown, the wives got on famously, and the kids played together. After yesterday, I can see the commonality.

It’s a rum sort of cove, yer blame. I, Rupert Murdoch, do hereby claim that I own 40% of the company, and am thus entitled to fly first class everywhere and tell everyone what to do, but none of this was my fault. I’m the best man to run this ship, but all those people on the other ships screwed up and so they have to go.

Would that be including James, then?

Predictably, the cameras focused almost entirely on the main event: Black Troika v White Campaigners. And if you believe that version of black and white, you’ll believe anything. But in truth, the real action has been at the Home Affairs session in recent months. There no pies and no tarts – just plenty of damning evidence. As their soon-to-be-released report will show.

While Rupe was busy repeating his shock and shame and desire to cooperate fully, ‘his’ company had been found by this other parliamentary committee to have “deliberately” tried to block a Scotland Yard criminal investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World. The all-party home affairs committee continues to get some nuggets out of the cops on parade, but a report on their earlier deliberations is to be released tomorrow morning: its publication has been moved forward in time for today’s statement by prime minister David Cameron on the scandal.

The Sun headline from the report is that it concludes Newscorp tried to ‘thwart’ the 2005-6 Met investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World. This was, the report goes on, ‘deliberate’. Andy Coulson was editing the paper at the time. The Prime Minister hired him despite the dark clouds and, given a second chance, he informally used fellow-hacker Neil Wallis as a consultant to Number Ten. There are even allegations (from the Right of politics, not the Left) that Rebekah Brooks, on hearing Cameron was about to hire a ‘safe’ BBC candidate as head of Comms, rang the PM to say, more or less, that Rupe wouldn’t like that, so why don’t you hire Andy Coulson. He’s a nice boy.

By the time Newscorp infiltration of Ten Downing Street was complete, it wasn’t that Coulson was a cuckoo in the nest: rather, it was Cameron playing the role of Daniel in the lions’ den.

These are the core points all observers need to consider:

* Rupert’s testimony about being ‘hands off’ doesn’t accord with a single account of his management style.

* The illegal and corrupting tactics used by Newscorp are apparent in all the markets where they operate.

* If Rupert and James were totally shocked to discover this, they aren’t fit to run the company.

* Until ten days ago, a key Minister and the Prime Minister were enthusiastically supporting a Murdoch takeover of BSkyB.

* In Number Ten, and at home in Chipping Norton, David Cameron surrounded himself with the senior management of this depraved media organisation.

* Literally dozens of people – including, via an intermediary, The Slog* – warned Cameron that he was bedding down with the Devil incarnate. His decision to ignore all that advice suggests a man who is at best sloppy, probably a very poor judge of character, and at worst incriminated by association.

The Hackgate scandal will go on from here. David Cameron will make a statement today, but it’s too late now to draw a line under it. And lest any of us forget, it is quite likely that, before this pavanne of turpitude is over, the Opposition Leader will also find himself in possession of a deeply compromised Tom Baldwin as Communications Head.

*On December 23rd I wrote in confidence via email to a senior Cabinet Minister, ‘the flaw in Coulson’s defence is that he’s guilty. DC must get out from under this, or it will destroy him’.

Related: Busy doing nothing

How surveillance was pioneered by Newscorp in the US

From the archives: Why the ‘gate’ suffix is deserved this time

16Comments

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1

John Ward on July 20, 2011 at 3:59 pm

I’ve often wondered that. Let’s hang Max Clifford upside down from his goolies and see what emerges.

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2

Bankrupt Taxpayer on July 20, 2011 at 3:37 pm

“‘corporate fascists’ who are morally bankrupt!”

Quite so. All corporate fascists are morally bankrupt.
The great mistake that many people make is to see them as right-wing” because they’re involved in manipulating capitalism to gain power and control.
But they are most certainly not right-wing. Most of them are Little Hitler socialists and are little different from people like Mussolini. Blair was another one of them. Robert Maxwell was another.
The huge problem Brown had in office was marrying his strong socialist Marxist beliefs of state ownership of everything that moved with Blair’s new-found socialist corporate fascism.

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3

SICK OF CROOKS AND MURDERERS AND COWARDS on July 20, 2011 at 1:23 pm

Just don’t want Peter Scandalson and his cronies and puppets to be getting away with calling the kettle black. If the Aegean Stables are going to be cleaned out then we have to make sure a proper job is done!

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4

Miss B Having on July 20, 2011 at 12:52 pm

‘corporate fascists’ who are morally bankrupt! hope for him to be fiscally bankrupt- not a chance of that… but remove a bully’s power and you remove a bully. Simples.

MAC….. I was thinking about that myslef. Then I remembered that a lawyer once told me, if matters are raised at a criminal investigation, and matters pertaining to that are deemed a chargable offence then a Judge CAN override – overule that clause- and demand an answer: even if it means in private or at the bench. Those who settled out of court are gutless wonders or…. were they blackmailed with more revelations?…Just another thought to add to yours.

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5

Mac on July 20, 2011 at 12:41 pm

Just wondering…………

if someone has accepted an out of court settlement with a confidentially clause and they are subpoenaed to appear in front of a criminal court of law does that clause become null and void and would evidence only be played to a closed session?

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6

Bankrupt Taxpayer on July 20, 2011 at 12:27 pm

“Rupe testified yesterday to the effect that he liked Gordon Brown, the wives got on famously, and the kids played together. After yesterday, I can see the commonality.”

Anyone who “likes” the unhinged Gordon Brown is seriously mad.

But it doesn’t surprise me one jot. I recently commented that I see Rupe as a ‘corporate fascist’, which has very little to do with any belief in decency, fairness, democracy, accountable free markets and more to do with manipulation and power/control. That’s Rupe.
And as we know, fascism is just another head of the socialist snake. Brown’s Marxist ideology is only a stone’s throw away in the snakepit.

(FWIW, I have also commented elsewhere long ago that Microsoft under Gates are corporate fascists.)

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7

Miss B Having on July 20, 2011 at 12:00 pm

I am also a huge “fan”, Hmm not sure if that is the correct word, but you know what I mean, of your writings John.

I would disagree with you on the point that the three A-ME-GOES
( rupe, brookie, coulsie) are not shocked by the hacking revelations. You just need to see the horror on their unfancialble faces. Sheer terror and horror I saw in their eyes. Not down to the revelations but down to OMG WE WAS FOUND OUT. Indeed who would cross the great and powerful *paper wizard* of OZ? Interesting to find out.

…And yet again the “whistle blower” “killed himself”. Conspiracy ? Oh really now – behave!

I saw this quote and thought…..
quote:”I wonder who the murdochs pissed off in the echelons of power to have this brought on them. I thought and I guess they did that this was put to bed a few years ago”.
**************************************************************************

From the accused bench
Please note’ whistle blowers are:
1 Mentally ill
2 Making it up they are liars ( we need no proof we just need to tell you
3 They are trouble makers
4 Useless human beings, not worth bothering about.
5 when the sh…. hits fan they “kill themselves” which proves our point … see number 1 for evidence.

such people are…. Russian spies, weapon inspectors, news paper hacks…. and many more yet to come or turn up in history books in the future? I fear dear old rupe will now die very unhappy- as they say – Money cant buy you “love” “happiness”. And now it can’t even buy you a Government or public opinion….What is a Billionaire – TO DO NOW…Hee hee

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8

Nhoj on July 20, 2011 at 10:34 am

I’m afraid your comments miss the point that I was making. It is not a question of ‘serious or not’
Your main point being that if you break the law but perhaps you are white or black, or even the son of a politian or indeed your name starts with N then its ok to be charged.
My point is that a law is not required. People of good will, where there is trust in the workplace will work within the rules. The current situation will not be solved with more laws arrests.
My belief is that the current arrests are unlikly to achieve any convictions.

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9

Richard G on July 20, 2011 at 10:22 am

Wasn’t a previous one (now part of NI – or was I think) also scheduled to appear

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10

Kennyboy on July 20, 2011 at 9:29 am

Our chum Keir Starmer was scheduled to appear before the Home Affairs committee yesterday teatime. Surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly) there was no broadcast of it and no mention of it on any channel. Starmer, who makes Yates look like “Mr Trustworthy”, apparently stuck to his mantra that he … “made the right decision in July 2009 that there was no new evidence to justify a reopening of the investigation at that point.
He said he sought all possible assurances before coming to his conclusion”. Presumably his assurances came from Yates, Hayman
and Fidorcio……..

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11

True_Belle on July 20, 2011 at 9:15 am

It ain’t what you do , it’s the way that you do it!

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12

Lynchy on July 20, 2011 at 9:14 am

Nhoj, are you saying that phone hacking on a grand scale is not as serious crime as it has been made out to be or that it is justified because everyone commits little crimes everyday.

The fact is the mum on her phone in the car is not;

a) in a position of extreme power and responsibility
b) using their phone phone to massively influence and corrupt a society, or create money to influence and corrupt the police and policiticians.

Having said that, in a world where corruption is the oil that lubricates financial markets and the cogs of power. Perhaps journalists have to use any means necessary to be able to keep it in some kind of check. Reduced power of the press is worrying. I wouldn’t bat an eyelid on a corrupt policitian’s phone being hacked but hacking into murder victims is disgusting.

I wonder who the murdochs pissed off in the echelons of power to have this brought on them. I thought and I guess they did that this was put to bed a few years ago.

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13

Mac on July 20, 2011 at 8:56 am

I kinda agree either Rup is as dozy as his performance would suggest, and if he is then Wendi should have a blanket around his legs and be dressed in a white uniform, or this was a callous and scripted attempt to once again subvert a select committee.
If it is a case of the former then this public unveiling, notwithstanding the obvious lack of control throughout his companies, should make investors very nervous as this is contrary to what everyone has been lead to believe of the man and his management style.
If it is the latter then someone should be sharpening their teeth.
If reward is based on a hierarchical system then so too is culpability.
I would have asked why in the AM did the boys in blue say the company had deliberately stonewalled and actively refused cooperation when in the afternoon Jimmi claimed the company had brought the cops in and gave them every help possible. Someone is being economical with the truth.
I could imagine a lot of people who don’t really know much about what has gone on being taken in by the Murdoch’s performance and the custard pie played right into that!

Can I post this anonymously, that Wendi has a mean right hook!

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14

Nhoj on July 20, 2011 at 8:03 am

I remain a great supporter of the Slog and your realistic approach to the current problems in the country.
Your views on the hacking scandal however, is inconsistant and largly follows the views of Keith Vaz, a discedited chancer and imbitered feeble minded politician.
The evidence of Clark was the most interesting account and highlighted the reasons for both the ‘hacking’ success and failure. He viewed the problem as a security breach which lead to the successful convictions of two people.
The case was then considered closed by the establishment.
I understand your fears regards the Murdoch’s but in a country where a law is Brocken by almost everyone of us every day are you suggesting that the police should arrest us all !
Spend hours at every pub to catch the smoker, view the CCTV of mothers picking the kids up outside school on zig zag lines or making phone calls in their cars – welcome to the politican’s world of the a perfect society where we need a policeman for every citizen.

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15

SICK OF CROOKS AND MURDERERS AND COWARDS on July 20, 2011 at 7:43 am

They’ve all got dirty hands.

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16

Altergoman on July 20, 2011 at 7:31 am

Were the questions: why did NOTW management not read the 2/300 page dossier before they referred it to HB in 2007 and why did they not do the ‘normal’ thing of copying every document for their own use just too simple?

Keep on about News America Marketing JW it appears to be a rich seam.

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