U.K. lawmakers: Rupert Murdoch unfit to lead News Corp., misled Parliament on phone hacking

News Corp Chief Rupert Murdoch, left, his wife Wendi and son Lachlan are driven away from the High Court in central London on April 26, 2012 after Murdoch's second and final day of giving evidence at the Leveson Inquiry. / JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/GettyImages

(AP) LONDON - News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch must take responsibility for serious failings that caused Britain's tabloid phone hacking scandal, lawmakers said Tuesday in a scathing report — as a narrow majority also insisted the tycoon was unfit to lead his global media empire.

In a report on the malpractice at Murdoch's now shuttered News of The World tabloid, legislators accused Murdoch and his son James of overseeing a corporate culture that sought "to cover up rather than seek out wrongdoing."

Parliament's cross-party Culture, Media and Sport committee unanimously agreed that three key News International executives had misled Parliament by offering false accounts of their knowledge of the extent of phone hacking — a rare and serious censure that can see offenders hauled before Parliament to make a personal apology.

The panel said the House of Commons would decide on the punishment meted out to the three executives: New York Daily News editor Colin Myler, a former News of The World editor; the British tabloid's longtime lawyer Tom Crone and Les Hinton, the former executive chairman of News International, former publisher of The Wall Street Journal and former board member of The Associated Press.

Commentary: Rupert Murdoch guilty of willful blindness

Members of the panel said Rupert Murdoch, 81, had insisted he was unaware that hacking was widespread at the News of The World, blaming his staff for keeping him in the dark. That explanation was not accepted.

The legislators said if that was true, "he turned a blind eye and exhibited willful blindness to what was going on in his companies."

In a ruling opposed by 4 Conservative Party members of the 11-member committee, the panel cast serious doubt on Murdoch's credentials as an executive.

"We conclude, therefore, that Rupert Murdoch is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company," the report said.

The judgment on Murdoch implies that News Corp., which he heads, is also not fit to control British Sky Broadcasting, in which the company has a controlling stake of 39 percent.

Ofcom, the broadcast regulator, said it is reading the report with interest.

"Ofcom has a duty ... to be satisfied that any person holding a broadcasting license is, and remains, fit and proper to do so," the statement read. "Ofcom is continuing to assess the evidence."

Louise Mensch, a Conservative Party member of the panel, told reporters the committee had been divided over the harsh criticism of Murdoch. Four Conservative members opposed the suggestion that Murdoch was unfit to lead a global company, but that stance was endorsed by four Labour Party members and one Liberal Democrat. The panel's chairman, a Conservative, did not vote, in line with convention.

Conservative panel member Philip Davies said the conclusion was "not only over the top, but ludicrous."

Legislators agreed, however, that Murdoch's son 39-year-old son James, a former News International executive chairman, was also badly at fault in the scandal. They said phone hacking at the tabloid dated back to at least 2001, and insisted that James Murdoch could have halted the practice as early as 2008.

"As the head of a journalistic enterprise, we are astonished that James Murdoch did not seek more information," legislators wrote.

But they stopped short of accusing the younger Murdoch of misleading lawmakers when he claimed not to have fully read a 2008 email which he had received and outlined that hacking was widespread.

The committee also criticized Hinton, who worked as a top Murdoch aide on both sides of the Atlantic for decades and resigned as the publisher of The Wall Street Journal last year amid the hacking scandal. The report said he misled them over his repeated claim that hacking was not rife at the News of The World.

Myler and Crone had also failed to present factual accounts of what they knew, the report said.

In a statement, Myler said he stood by his evidence and believed ongoing U.K. police inquiries would "establish the truth" of his account. "I have always sought to be accurate and consistent in what I have said to the committee," Myler said.

Committee chairman James Whittingdale said "it is for the House (of Commons) to decide what consequences follow" from misleading Parliament.

News Corp. said it was "carefully reviewing the select committee's report and will respond shortly."

"The company fully acknowledges significant wrongdoing at News of the World and apologizes to everyone whose privacy was invaded," it said in a statement.

News Corp. has been buffeted by the scandal, which has claimed the jobs of a string of his senior executives and several top British police officers amid allegations that Scotland Yard failed properly to investigate tabloid wrongdoing for years.

Murdoch closed down the 168-year-old News of The World tabloid last July amid public revulsion at the hacking of voice mail messages of celebrities and victims of crime, including murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

A total of 43 people, including at least 25 past and present employees of News International have been arrested by police investigating phone hacking, bribery and computer hacking. Murdoch has paid out millions to settle lawsuits from about 60 celebrities, sports stars, politicians and other public figures whose voice mails were hacked. Dozens more lawsuits have been filed.

It was not clear what impact Tuesday's report would have on Murdoch's key U.S. properties, which include The Wall Street Journal and Fox News.

[Liberty_in_MA]

I'm so surprised that all the left wing media outlets pounced with affection all over the comments of a bunch of socialist parliamentarians who took time away from their busy social commitments to condemn the lone contrarian in the news business. Of course, that was only after they blamed him for forcing them to court him over the course of their careers. How does that work anyway? These British pols grovel on their knees and suck up to NewsCorp so that they can get free press, then they claim that they were forced to do it and then condemn NewsCorp for publishing their brain droppings? Anyone take a look at NewsCorp stock today? Anyone take a look at the ratings of FoxNews against all their liberal and progressively biased competitors? The people have chosen by virtue of their viewing habits and the numbers don't lie my friends.
What we're seeing now is the last exhaustive gasps of the petrified and dying left wing press; bitter and resolute in its conceit.

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
Rupert and James Murdoch must take responsibility, it's clear,
however a question arises, what about involvement of some politicians
in the hacking scandal ?
"au revoir"

[usunus]

A sign of the times ! Memory is still fresh of the degrading expenses scandal involving the British members of parliament.Now,the same worthies consider themselves eminently suitable to govern the country and pass moral judgments on others.These hypocrites have no sense of shame.

[ticobird]

It is most likely true that "Rupert Murdoch is unfit to lead his global media empire" but UK intelligence services and cyber defense units should share some of the blame for letting this go on for so long.

[andacar]

I'm waiting to see how some die hard right winger will manage to spin this so they can grouse about the flurgifargin' liberals.

[littleredtop]

Being that its Murdock's company why would anyone care what this reporter thinks.

[wdrussell1]

Rupert is not fit to be called a human being.
He should be deported.

[CBSTV]

RKO General lost the licenses to its broadcast stations due to the foreign misdeeds of its parent company. Perhaps the same will hold true for Fox/News Corporation.

[nor-one]

Does this mean there are pink slips in the future for sarah, newt, o'riler etc.? Now that would be a real clean-up for the enviornment. They should all contact Mitty for advice on handeling a pink slip. He handed enough of them out, and according to him it was enjoyable.

[Fox_Rush_Zombie]

C'mon... you guys have a dungeon over there... use it!!