back to article Hacking scandal: James Murdoch quits UK newspaper biz

James Murdoch has quit as executive chairman at News International. The publishing giant, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, has been under intense scrutiny after allegations of widespread phone-hacking and illegal payments to police emerged last year. By July 2011, the company's 168-year-old Sunday redtop NotW was …

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  1. TeeCee Gold badge
    Facepalm

    Bad move?

    "Now that he has moved to New York, James will continue to assume a variety of essential corporate leadership mandates..."

    That's a bit daft. ISTR that the Yanks take a far dimmer view of hacking, bribery of officials, lying to government enquiries, etc ad nauseum, than we do. I'd have thought that a complete change of approach might be rather safer for him.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Bad move?

      NY is not god state for this young lad. the AGs in NY have reputation for seeking attention and trying to look like they care for the little guy. Plus he will be an easy target for any body looking to make a name for them selfs .

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Bad move?

      "the Yanks take a far dimmer view of hacking, bribery of officials, lying to government enquiries, etc ad nauseum, than we do"

      That's only when the person doing this gets caught or supports the wrong team. Until they, they are celebrities and respected citizens..

      IMHO, the primary motive for this move is to place James slightly out of reach of UK paparazzi, and make it harder to obtain information about him. "Lost in the move to the US", "no longer works here" - you know the drill. IMHO; it's an attempt to avoid getting splattered with the mud that is about to fly when prosecutions start. Personally, I think people who were responsible for this should be convicted to several years of exposure to the same. That's better than locking them up, and I'd happily create a rag to publish it all..

  2. Nev
    Thumb Up

    Excellent

    No need to pay for a lengthy/expensive extradition process when the Corrupt Foreign Practices Act proceedings start over there!

  3. AdamT
    Trollface

    Unequal extradition?

    Might be a useful test case to resolve the "is it easier to extradite to the US from the UK than vica versa" question...

    1. Crisp

      Re: Unequal extradition?

      Let's not be too hasty. If he gets tried for his crimes over in americaland he might get the death penalty.

      1. Antony Riley
        Coat

        Re: Re: Unequal extradition?

        Unfortunately I don't place that much trust in the US legal system, remember OJ?

      2. Captain Underpants
        Unhappy

        Re: Re: Unequal extradition?

        If there's anything that would make me oppose the idea of that bellend going on trial in the US, it's the possibility of him getting the death penalty and subsequently becoming a martyr. That way we'd never stop hearing about him, and %^&* that for a game of soldiers.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Re: Unequal extradition?

        "Let's not be too hasty. If he gets tried for his crimes over in americaland he might get the death penalty."

        Uh, no, he won't. The use of the death penalty is far more limited than your limited outlook is capable of understanding.

        Personally, *I* am wondering if we could ask the Brits to extradite him back to the UK. Just for the sake of, you know, making the streets here a bit cleaner.

        1. Shakje
          Stop

          Re: Re: Re: Unequal extradition?

          It seems that we're bang on with our stereotypes of the American sense of humour though.

  4. PyLETS
    Flame

    Excuses

    Now that it's no longer his ongoing operational and damage limitation responsibility, this presumably makes it easier for him to refuse a voluntary request to be available for further statements, questioning and cross examination at Levenson or spin off enquiries. Bit difficult to answer how your organisation was spending vast sums on bribes and payments for criminal actvity when the budget holders and more senior execs claim not to have known how the money was being spent.

  5. Gordon 10

    Hang on sec

    I see a contradiction here.

    1. If he is a working exec of all those companies then there is no way in hell he could have detailed knowledge of the shop floor of each of them.

    2. If 1 is true - then no need to move.

    Therefore either he had a handson role at NI and is probably guilty of something or he was not handson and not guilty.

    Since he moved - he must have been handson and guilty.

    Which ever way you cut it he is guilty.

  6. MyronC
    Trollface

    Saw a funny twitter about this

    "James Murdoch retires to spend less time with his family"

  7. Jon Press

    The Heir Abhorrent...

    ... was already running out of friends. Sounds like backs might be turning in the family too.

  8. Andy Enderby 1

    it couldn't possibly be.....?

    it couldn't possibly be because he is compromised by evidence given to Leveson, and now legally exposed, and because of the famed one way extradition treaty between Limeys and Septics ?

    1. kain preacher

      Re: it couldn't possibly be.....?

      As Yank I want t see him raked over the coals, I'll smile for a week if they get daddy too. Oh and if congress calls him in it won't be easy to hide .

  9. P. Lee
    Flame

    > Meanwhile, News International's renamed NotW - The Sun on Sunday - went on sale last weekend.

    There, fixed it. Though seeing as internal memos from before the scandal included plans for this, I'm not sure its relevant.

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