British Tabloid Phone-Hacking Scandal Deepens With Allegations Against P.M. Aide

British tabloids are infamous for their unorthodox news-gathering methods. But a recent New York Times exposé about a 5-year-old phone-hacking scandal has re-opened questions about the extent of such journalistic practices in the United Kingdom, as well as how effectively the police and the government have worked to block them.

At the center of the current tempest is News of The World (NoW), a well-known British tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch. Over the course of late 2005 and 2006, the London Metropolitan Police began to investigate claims that the newspaper was hacking into the mobile phones of Princes William and Harry. A private detective was subsequently found with almost 3,000 mobile numbers and more than 90 pin codes to listen to private voice-mails. Clive Goodman, the newspaper's royal editor, and a private detective were both sent to prison over their role in the scandal in 2007, but the paper continued to insist that this was an isolated case confined to one rogue reporter.


Last summer, the Guardian newspaper broke a story that Murdoch's News Group newspapers had paid out more than 1 million pounds in court costs after its journalists were accused of hiring private investigators to hack into the mobile phones of public figures. These ranged from former deputy prime minister John Prescott to supermodel Elle McPherson, as well as numerous other politicians, sports stars and actors. The investigators allegedly gained access to all sorts of confidential information about these people, including tax records, bank statements and Social Security files.

The Metropolitan police did not re-open the case, arguing that no new evidence had emerged since the original inquiry which put Goodman in jail. But a subsequent and highly critical parliamentary report on the matter accused senior executives at the newspaper of concealing the truth about the extent of illegal phone hacking by its journalists.

The story had more or less dropped below the radar until last week, when The New York Times published a 6,000-word article in which it provided fresh evidence for the scandal, including an interview with a former NoW reporter, Sean Hoare. In the article, Hoare alleged that Andy Coulson -- formerly the editor at NoW and now Prime Minister David Cameron's press secretary -- "actively encouraged" a culture of phone hacking, an allegation Coulson has consistently denied. Several other unnamed sources also told the Times that the practice of phone hacking at NoW had been endemic.

The Times article also raised questions about how vigorously the Metropolitan police have pursued the case. The implication was that Scotland Yard might have been reluctant to investigate the claims because of its close relationship with News International. (News International owns NoW and Rupert Murdoch owns both). According to the Times story, the police sometimes built high-profile cases out of the paper's exclusives, which were then favorably reported on by NoW.

And on Monday, it came out that the home office abandoned plans to establish an independent inquiry into the News of the World phone-hacking scandal last year after a senior official warned that the Metropolitan police would "deeply resent" any interference in their investigation.

Prescott -- backed by numerous other opposition Labour politicians -- has demanded that the Metropolitan police re-open its investigation. He has also threatened legal action in his bid to gain access to documents relating to his records. On Tuesday, the Home Affairs Select Committee announced that it was launching a separate inquiry into unauthorized phone-hacking.

The Met police are said to be weighing whether or not to re-open the investigation. According to one official, Hoare's allegations "came from nowhere" as far as the investigation was concerned, suggesting that there was, indeed, new information in the Times story.

Coulson has said that he will give his full cooperation to the police and has already offered to speak to them. And so far, at least, David Cameron is standing behind his press secretary. But some senior Tories are said to be doubtful that Coulson will withstand further media scrutiny and may be forced to step down.

For its part, News of the World officials are questioning the motives behind the New York Times story, which are seen as prompted by "commercial rivalry." (The New York Times has been engaged in a turf war with The Wall Street Journal -- another Murdoch newspaper -- over recent months for local coverage of New York City.) Last summer, Rupert Murdoch denied being aware of any payments made by NoW to settle cases where reporters were charged with criminal activity. But his biographer, Michael Wolff, says that if Coulson knew about the payments, then so did Murdoch.

Regardless of the Times' motives for writing this piece, it's clear that the majority of the press -- and many public officials -- here are convinced that this story has legs. Is this just the tip of the iceberg?

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