Murdoch firms won't face US phone hacking charges

[GroundIIControl]

Murdoch firms won't face US phone hacking charges

Date February 3, 2015 - 3:49PM

Rupert Murdoch and his son James Murdoch appear before a British parliamentary committee on phone hacking in July 2011. Photo: Reuters

New York: US authorities have decided not to pursue criminal charges in connection with the phone-hacking scandal involving Rupert Murdoch's media empire in Britain, his companies say.

In statements filed with US regulators, News Corp and 21st Century Fox each said they would face no prosecution from the US Justice Department.

Using identical language, the two statements said the Justice Department "has completed its investigation of voicemail interception and payments to public officials in London and is declining to prosecute" either firm.

Convicted: Former News Corp editor and prime ministerial aide Andy Coulson. Photo: Getty Images

The scandal which erupted in 2011 led to the closure of Murdoch's News of the World after revelations that the tabloid had accessed the voicemails of a murdered schoolgirl, Milly Dowler.

In the wake of the scandal and the subsequent investigations in Britain, Mr Murdoch split his empire into two entities - News Corp, focusing on newspapers and publishing, and 21st Century Fox specialising in TV and film.

The scandal has led to tens of millions of dollars in legal costs for the companies, including damages paid to victims.

Cleared: Former News International chief Rebekah Brooks. Photo: Bloomberg

Mr Murdoch's British media units have faced intense pressure following revelations that the hacking extended to celebrities including Prince William and Prince Harry, and actors Jude Law and Sienna Miller.

Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor and one-time communications chief of British Prime Minister David Cameron, served less than five months of an 18-month prison sentence after he was found guilty of conspiring to intercept voicemails.

But former Murdoch protegee Rebekah Brooks, another key editor for the media group, was cleared of the charges last June.

News Corp operates The Sun and The Times of London, along with the US-based Wall Street Journal.

Mr Murdoch's 21st Century Fox includes the well-known Hollywood Fox studio and television operations and owns a stake in the Sky satellite broadcaster.

AFP