News Corporation now has a Republican on its case

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The phone-hacking scandal that has put News Corporation in a world of hurt in the United Kingdom has splashed over to the United States, in particular because of the possibility that victims of 9/11 were involved. Democrats in Congress were first to call for probes, and have been joined by Rep. Pete King (R-NY). Talk has also started in Rupert Murdoch’s birth nation of Australia.


King is Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. He represents a district on Long Island, and like many legislators in and around New York City, King is especially sensitive to matters that touch on 9/11.

According to reports, he is asking the FBI to look into the possibility the New Corp.’s actions raise legal questions pertinent in the US. According to a Hillicon Valley report, King wrote, “It is revolting to imagine that members of the media would seek to compromise the integrity of a public official for financial gain in the pursuit of yellow journalism.”

King joins several senators in calling for probes, including Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ).

Meanwhile, Australians are also concerned about the News Corporation/UK situation. According to Reuters, Prime Minister Julia Gillard may look to see if there are any actions the Australian government can take against the company’s broadcast properties there. “To see some of the things that have been done to intrude on people’s privacy, particularly in moments of grief and stress in the family lives, I’ve truly been disgusted to see it,” she said. “I anticipate that we will have a discussion amongst parliamentarians about this, about the best review and way of dealing with all of this.”