Hacking scandal: the net tightens on the Murdochs

[Swagman]

Source: The Independent

Rupert Murdoch's grip on his media empire was dramatically challenged yesterday after his company was labelled a "toxic shadow state" which launched a dirty tricks campaign against MPs and now faces a salvo of phone-hacking claims in the United States.

On a tumultuous day for the media mogul, the lawyer who brought the first damages claims against the News of the World in Britain said he had uncovered new allegations of the use of "dark arts" by News Corp in America and was ready to file at least three phone-hacking lawsuits in the company's backyard.

The sense of a legal net tightening around Mr Murdoch and News Corp was heightened by the announcement that he and his son James will testify separately next week before the Leveson Inquiry into press standards during three days of what is likely to be uncomfortable scrutiny of alleged widespread criminality in their British tabloid newspapers.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/hacking-scandal-the-net-tightens-on-the-murdochs-7661722.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. That's more of a summary of events of the past day or so

Shortcuts here

"The toxic shadow" is a reference from the MP who launched his book on the subject yesterday. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/19/tom-watson-dial-m-for-murder_n_1437541.html

"the lawyer" is Mark Lewis : see http://sync.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=95686 and last September http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/sep/23/phone-hacking-9-11-bribery

Murdochs at the Levenson enquiry : http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014101669