KaBoom!! Rupert Murdoch assembles US legal team over phone-hacking scandal

[malaise]

Rupert Murdoch is assembling a team of US lawyers with expertise in fighting large federal criminal cases, dan Sullivan, one of America's most experienced lawyers, who over 40 years in litigation has acquired a reputation for taking on difficult and sensitive cases. He represented Oliver North, the US marine corps officer, in congressional hearings over the Iran-Contra affair.


Sullivan was probably brought on board by Murdoch last week on the recommendation of Joel Klein, the former US assistant attorney general who the News Corporation chief has entrusted with leading its internal investigation into the phone-hacking scandal.

The appointment of Sullivan – revealed last week by the New York Times's Dealbook blog – is being seen as an indication that Murdoch is preparing for the worst. In the UK, News International has already set aside about £20m in preparation for compensation payments to victims of its phone-hacking activities, and pressure is now building in the US for criminal and civil legal action.

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Put on those seat belts DUers!!
:popcorn:

edit subject

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Hey, Dan! Better get a retainer up front of at least $2 million.

On edit: Make that $10 million.

[flamingdem]

2. Let's hope for the worst! ;) nt

[DearAbby]

3. FOX NEWS new jingle..."We've got VOICE MAIL!" n/t

[salin]

4. it is getting closer...

speculation is that the arrest of Brooks signals big problems for James. See, the claim (from earlier responses right up through the resignation) was deniability... "we didn't know". The arrest suggests evidence says something else.

I think we can't even begin to speculate where all the UK investigation is going to lead. But pulling together this US legal team - big signal.

[malaise]

8. Question - wasn't St Rudy of 9/11 part of this firm?

Was his side kick Kerik involved in the hacking?

[salin]

32. kerik made too many mistakes to have been working on 'inside info'.

he was an idiot, that one. Not sure about Rudy and the firm.

[LisaM]

5. If this goes to the SC, John Roberts had better recuse himeself

He has formerly represented Fox.

The fact that the "liberal" media doesn't refer to him as "Former Fox News lawyer John Roberts" continues to astound me. Interestingly, this 2005 (Fox) article concluded Roberts wasn't in the pocket of business :rofl: , but the pertinent information is there for all to see.



"A list of Roberts' former clients may not impress those looking to support the downtrodden. For example, Roberts represented FOX television stations as they sought Federal Communications Commission approval to increase ownership of television stations in order to expand its audience reach."


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163475,00.html

[DearAbby]

6. Jump back and color me shocked

:wow: I wonder how entwined ol Murdoch is in our government? Would it be possible our Government is in as much danger as UK?

[LisaM]

10. If we could get rid of Roberts, it would be huge.

I'm not saying that would be enough for me, but it would be an enormous change for the good.

Remember how Roberts apparently illegally adopted two Irish children? I wonder if that could come out in all this? I wonder if the Murdoch empire helped with that, pulling in some chits with officials to let that happen.

[malaise]

12. Well he might have a 'fit' with all these bad news about

his friends. :evilgrin:

[Gin]

38. disregard

[still_one]

17. There is no reason it should go to the Supreme Court. /nt

[midnight]

7. Wow... I wonder where Oliver North received his money to hire

Mr. Sullivan?

[SpiralHawk]

21. Jolly Ollie - The Republicon traitor who gave our US Hawk missiles to the evil Iranian Ayatollay

Republicons really do hate America, as Jolly Ollie North demonstrated.

[malaise]

24. You know the Reagan/Thatcher era may finally end

with the fall of Rupert.

[Aerows]

33. We can dream...

This story just gets better and better. News Corp stock is taking a pounding, too. That's not going to lead to happy share holders :).

I'd love to see some time for James, and maybe even old Rupert. Lock 'em up and throw away the key!

[DearAbby]

35. The pace of this scandal

time for stockholders booting out the Murdocks passed ten minutes after the scandal broke. I don't believe there is going to be much of the empire left for stockholders.

[KittyWampus]

9. Unlike Ollie North, Murdoch doesn't have a military uniform to wear during the trial.

[Uncle Joe]

31. Murdoch doesn't need a uniform to play the victim card, or obfuscate the issue, his

corporate media propaganda machine will do that for him.

On a thread by Towlie

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x614665

Watch, if you can stand to. They roll out some expert, Bob Dilenschneider, to say how hacking is a big problem. It's happened at the Pentagon. It's happened at Citibank. It's happened at the News of the World. When are we going to get serious about it?

HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!!! Citibank and the Pentagon were the hackees -- the objects of hacking, by criminals or spies. Murdoch's News of the World was the hacker -- the perpetrator, the criminal-or-spy counterpart.

On a thread by cal

The Wall Street Journal has attempted to redirect the criticism that has been levelled against its owner, Rupert Murdoch, against the journalists who uncovered the illegal phone hacking and bribery at the News of the World.

(snip)

At the end of a weekend in which Murdoch and top News Corporation executives have made a round of apologies for the illegal behaviour of News of the World, the Wall Street Journal's editorial takes a strikingly opposing posture. It adopts a peevish tone, noting "the irony of so much moral outrage devoted to a single media company, when British tabloids have been known for decades for buying scoops and digging up dirt on the famous."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x614686

This way Murdoch gets to play the "graceful victim" apologizing for his corporate media spawn's immoral, illegal and unethical behavior while having his other incestuous, conflict of interest ridden corporate media spawn spin their propaganda in his defense, they're his uniform.

[Chimichurri]

11. This story gets more delicious by the second.

[Ikonoklast]

13. That bus is headed right over a cliff.

Murdoch knows just how big the shitstorm coming his way is, and there is precious little he can do to stop it.

Time to lawyer up, and hunker down.

Murdoch is fucked; the cops he bribed are all resigning, the politicians he blackmailed or paid off are all lining up for questioning, NewsCorp stock is getting it in the shorts, NWS investor and major stakeholder Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is crapping in his pants as he sees billions in his investment go up in smoke.


And that's just TODAY.





Hee. Hee. Hee.


"See How The Mighty Have Fallen!"

[DearAbby]

14. Oh JOY OHHHHHhhh the Rapture!!!

This is getting better and better by the minute. You have no idea the pleasure reading your post gave me.

ahhh perhaps you do..:blush:

[malaise]

16. LOL

Yes this is getting good. :hi:

[malaise]

15. Nice post

Amazing stuff - the cops resigned because they have no credibility locking up folks or holding an investigation if they are tainted. This is heading all the way up to Cameron. Coulsen may wel be his undoing? That's the problem with achieving power by any means necessary. These men from the play fields of Eton do not think rules apply to them.

I hope Blair gets fugged in the process along with the RETHUGS across the pond. Men must be scared shitless with those police resignations because that means this is serious shit.

[Ikonoklast]

28. Turning state's evidence in return for leniency as fast as they can.

Those cops know that they are going to be ground into dust by the judicial system if they don't seek some type of immunity, Murdoch is now beyond the point of helping ANYONE.

They are being thrown to the wolves by Murdoch, and realize that it's every man for himself.

Anyone that is even tangentially part of this entire disaster and has half a brain will now rat out anyone and spill his guts to save his own ass.

No one is coming to their aid from NewsCorp, they are all on their own.

The entire British political leadership that made a Devil's Bargain with Murdoch will fall in disgrace.




The weaker sisters here in the states are getting a little...anxious...about all the bad news about their good friend and benefactor Murdoch.





Hee. Hee. Hee.

[malaise]

29. I think Yates will end up in prison but Stephenson

will escape with the removal of the title.
Someone should ask Jon Stewart to Interview Chris Wallace about now. :evilgrin:

[Ikonoklast]

30. "On advice from counsel, Mr Wallace will respectfully decline the offer of an interview."

See: Enclosures.

Dictated But Not Read.



Signed:

Ikonoklast

Counsel for Mr. Wallace.

[The Second Stone]

18. Wouldn't it be just awful if this legal team were hacked

so that all their voice mail, email and computer files were made public? Anonymous could do it illegally. NSA could do it legally.

[malaise]

19. What about Rupert?

:evilgrin:

[Uncle Joe]

20. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, malaise.

[OneGrassRoot]

22. K&R n/t

[Ganja Ninja]

23. Ahhh! Life is good. n/t

[PCIntern]

25. wow...

Ka-boom is right...

[damntexdem]

26. Tick tock, the lawyer's on the clock.

LOL

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. I like bumpy rides

[myrna minx]

34. Wheeeee!

:rofl:

[malaise]

36. Wheeeeeeeeee is right

:rofl:

[Remember Me]

37. Do you have a link?

Thanks.

[malaise]

39. Oops!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/rupert-murdoch-us-legal-team

[Remember Me]

40. Thank you. n/t