Gordon Brown condemns 'disgusting work' of (Murdoch's) News International journalists

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Former PM 'genuinely shocked' to discover journalists tried to access his voicemail and obtained information from his bank account and son's medical records

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2011/jul/12/phone-hacking-scandal-live-coverage">Follow all the latest developments in the phone-hacking scandal on our live blog

Nick Davies | Tuesday July 12 2011 09.30 BST

The former prime minister Gordon Brown has condemned "the most disgusting work" of News International journalists for using known criminals to invade the privacy and feelings of ordinary people, and accused the company of abusing its power for political gain.

Brown was reacting to revelations that News International journalists had attempted to access his voicemail and had obtained information from his bank account, his legal file and his family's medical records.

"I'm genuinely shocked to find that this happened. If I – with all the protection and all the defences that a chancellor or a prime minister has – can be so vulnerable to unscrupulous and unlawful tactics, what about the ordinary citizen? I find it quite incredible that a supposedly reputable organisation makes its money at the expense of ordinary people."

In an interview with the BBC and the Guardian, Brown confirmed that shortly after the birth of his son, Fraser, in October 2006, Rebekah Brooks, then editor of the Sun, telephoned his wife Sarah to say the paper had obtained details from the boy's medical records, revealing that he was suspected to be suffering from cystic fibrosis.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/12/gordon-brown-condemns-disgusting-work-news-international

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(My emphasis)

[deminks]

1. Looks like they may have threatened Brown as well

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2011/jul/12/phone-hacking-scandal-live-coverage

Are you insufficiently repulsed by the Sun's mysteriously-obtained exclusive on Brown's son's cystic fibrosis? Don't worry - like everything about the hacking scandal, there are always more details to emerge to compound the horror. I've been speaking to a source close to Gordon Brown at the time of the story, who recalls that it was served up with a chaser of threat.

Gordon insisted - despite a heavy brow-beating from Rebekah - that he was not willing to let his son's medical condition be the stuff of a Sun exclusive," recalls this source. "So he put out a statement on PA to spike their scoop and make clear that despite his condition, Fraser was fit and healthy. The Sun were utterly furious, and Brown's communications team were told that if Gordon wanted to get into No10, he needed to learn that was not how things were done."

(end snip)

[Ganja Ninja]

2. I really want to hear from the people that actually did the hacking.

Where do they get these people?
Can you imagine you've just been hired by News of the World and your boss walks in and says "I want you to hack into the personal records of the prime minister or the royal family"!!!
:wtf:

[stockholmer]

3. not to worry, the bank whore, blood-stained war criminal Tony Blair will soon have Murdoch's back

:puke:

[Lucky Luciano]

4. Wrong title. You forgot to put quotes around the word "Journalists." nt

[customerserviceguy]

5. While I sincerely hope for the maximum criminal sanction

on the tabloid 'journalists', I also hope that a certain sort of shame arises in the people who read trash. They're as responsible for the death of Diana Spencer as much as the paparazzi who chased her down, and they're also responsible for the invasions of privacy committed in the name of providing them worthless 'news'.

[Historic NY]

6. What makes people think the same stuff isn't going on here?

If its their business model and it is then they are still engaging in it. For example look at the NY Post its becoming a British tabloid selling sex, sensationalism and innuendo. I can guarenntee Alexander Hamilton is rolling in his grave.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. Anthony Weiner comes to mind. n/t

[spinbaby]

8. A quote from Brown

From the Guardian:

"I had my bank account broken into. I had my legal files effectively broken into. My tax returns went missing at one point. Medical records were broken into," he said. "I do know that in two instances there is absolute proof that News International hired people to do this and the people who are doing this are criminals, known criminals in some cases with records of violence and fraud."

[dipsydoodle]

9. Guardian apologises to the Sun over Gordon Brown story

The Guardian has apologised to the Sun for reporting that it accessed Gordon Brown's son's medical records.

The Guardian had claimed the Sun hacked into Fraser's records before reporting he had cystic fibrosis.

The Sun said its source was the father of another child with cystic fibrosis who heard the news "on the grapevine".

"In fact the information came from a different source and the Guardian apologises for its error," the paper wrote in its corrections column.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14164756