James Murdoch could face criminal charges on both sides of the Atlantic

[tpsbmam]

From the Guardian UK:

James Murdoch and News Corp could face corporate legal battles on both sides of the Atlantic that involve criminal charges, fines and forfeiture of assets as the escalating phone-hacking scandal risks damaging his chances of taking control of Rupert Murdoch's US-based media empire.

As deputy chief operating officer of News Corp – the US-listed company that is the ultimate owner of News International (NI), which in turn owns the News of the World, the Times, the Sunday Times and the Sun – the younger Murdoch has admitted he misled parliament over phone hacking, although he has stated he did not have the complete picture at the time. There have also been reports that employees routinely made payments to police officers, believed to total more than £100,000, in return for information.

The payments could leave News Corp – and possibly James Murdoch himself – facing the possibility of prosecution in the US under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) – legislation designed to stamp out bad corporate behaviour that carries severe penalties for anyone found guilty of breaching it – and in the UK under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 which outlaws the interception of communications.

Tony Woodcock, a partner at the City law firm Stephenson Harwood, said section 79 of the 2000 Act enabled criminal proceedings to be brought against not only a company, but also a director or similar officer where the offence was committed with their "consent or connivance" or was "attributable to any neglect on their part". Woodcock said: "This could embrace a wide number of people at the highest level within an organisation, such as a chief executive – not just the individual who 'pushed the button' allowing the intercept to take place or someone (perhaps less senior) who encouraged or was otherwise an accessory to the offence, such as an editor."

IMO it would never happen here -- Holder doesn't prosecute rich people. IF they discovered they hacked into any of the first family's phones or something similar, he might get off his ass. But barring that, he's too busy going after anti-war groups and legal medical cannabis dispensaries & patients. I hope the Brits throw the book at both Murdochs.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. I agree. Ain't gonna happen here.

Plutocracies don't prosecute plutocrats.

[ej510]

2. You beat me to it.

[joeybee12]

3. Sadly, you're right...he'll get a parade here, not prosecution...knr

[Rex]

4. We didn't lift a finger to prosecute GWB as a war criminal

what makes people think we will prosecute someone on the Right with more power then GWB? Murdoch is loved by the apeshit crazy crowd in America and the M$M will be more then happy to help James stay out of prison...it is one of their own afterall.

[malaise]

5. Then why were they deleting all those emails

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/08/phone-hacking-emails-news-international

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Because the Brits are a lot more likely to prosecute than Holder.

For one thing, it's been splashed all over their news media, unlike here. There will be at least some token beheadings of mid-level bureaucrats there.

[malaise]

8. We should thank the US Guardian

They were on it from day one - others joined recently

[LiberalAndProud]

6. There are some eerie parallels from here to there.

Murdoch liked Tony Blair a lot. Caused some hard feeling between his close associates. Evidently he had an interest in Jimmy Carter as well, which surprised me when I saw an allusion to that here http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/2011/01/rupert_murdoch_-_a_portrait_of.html

Fascinating, huh?

And then there is this:
Speaking at the Wall Street Journal D6 conference in Carlsbad, California, Murdoch was asked by veteran tech correspondent Walt Mossberg if he had played a part in the New York Post's endorsement of Obama.

"Yeah," he replied, candidly. The select audience of entrepreneurs and digital business executives at the conference earlier this week cheered, as can be seen in the accompanying video.

"We're on the verge of a complete phenomenon," Murdoch said. "Politicians are at an all-time low and are despised by 80% of the public, and then you've got a candidate trying to put himself out above it all. He's become a rock star. It's fantastic.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/30/rupertmurdoch.wallstreetjournal

These are just things that make me go hmmmmm.

[spooked911]

9. does any one know HOW they were able to hack so many phones?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/lawyer-claims-up-to-7000-may-have-had-phones-hacked-2266048.html