FBI poised to step up investigation into News Corp

[kpete]

Source: Independent UK

FBI poised to step up investigation into News Corp
US bureau ready to step in if Met inquiry into alleged wrongdoing at Murdoch papers falters

The FBI has told Scotland Yard it is "prepared to step in" if the Metropolitan Police fails to investigate the full extent of impropriety in the Murdoch empire. The warning came at a meeting between the transatlantic law enforcement groups at the Ministry of Justice in London.

Every piece of evidence surrendered by News Corporation to Scotland Yard is also being passed to US investigators. The disclosures, which prompted more than 20 arrests, including Sun journalists, have also sparked a separate FBI inquiry into whether News Corporation bribed officials in Russia. US investigators are collecting evidence given to the Leveson inquiry and parliamentary select committees.

"The FBI made it perfectly clear that if the British police drop the ball on this they will pick it up and run with it," said one legal source familiar with the US investigation.

Fear of such a US investigation, where financial penalties and potential jail sentences are held to be more punitive than in the UK, is one reason cited why News Corp, Murdoch's US holding company, has stepped up efforts to assist UK police in recent months. It is widely believed to be one of the reasons it handed over to police a cache of millions of emails containing evidence of possible crimes, to the dismay of many of its own staff. The Murdoch operation has assembled a team of US legal "big guns" to deal with inquiries by the FBI and other investigators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/fbi-poised-to-step-up-investigation-into-news-corp-7576425.html

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. "POISED"

[PSPS]

5. Exactly. I won't hold my breath for "Sleepy" Holder to come to work.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Fibbie, not Jibbie.

[Uncle Joe]

6. Like a cougar ready to pounce.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

14. Just like it.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Why wait for the Brits?

I'm sure plenty of malfeasance can be found on this side of the pond as well, so why waste time?

[Booby]

9. Good point!

[glinda]

10. Excellent point. I f they had wanted to something they could have.

[Fearless]

13. Gives them time to shread documents and get their story straight.

[freshwest]

3. Waiting for the BFI squeal on this one.

[blaze]

4. Could this possibly have any affect here at all?

From the article linked: "The Murdoch operation has assembled a team of US legal "big guns" to deal with inquiries by the FBI and other investigators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission."

I would love to be hopeful.... but remain doubtful.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

7. Bravo

It's about time.

They have broken US law already.

[GiveMeFreedom]

8. FBI

and the Justice Department are doing nothing. When the shit hits the fan, DOJ and FBI will negotiate with Murderdoc and his cronies to try and keep his ass out of jail. When you got lots of cash, justice is measured in dollar amounts.

[glinda]

11. Again when it leads back to Politicians or past Presidents it gets shut down....

How convenient.

[lonestarnot]

15. Good.

I guess. Depends upon who is in charge of that.

[Citizen Worker]

16. Several months ago I made the assertion that Murdoch and News Corp were behind the phone tapping

operation that nailed NY governor Elliott Spitzer and may have been done at the urging of Bush.

[dipsydoodle]

18. The article clearly states

the FBI had found no wrong doing in the USA.

[The Second Stone]

17. Hey! Lighten up! I'm poised to do my job at any moment

but right now I'm surfin' the net, because the net ain't gonna surf itself.