Murdoch rejects blame for scandal

Associated Press

LONDON

Summoned by lawmakers to answer for a phone hacking and bribery scandal at one of his tabloids, Rupert Murdoch said he was humbled and ashamed Tuesday but accepted no responsibility for wrongdoing as a widening investigation threatened to ensnare Britain’s prime minister.

In a three-hour grilling, the 80-year-old media tycoon insisted he was at fault only for trusting the wrong people at the now-defunct News of the World, and noted that the paper made up a tiny portion of his vast media empire.

The scandal has rocked Murdoch’s News Corp. and embroiled Britain’s top police, many journalists and politicians. Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his Africa trip to appear before a special parliamentary question session he called for today.

Murdoch appeared confused and flustered in the beginning of Tuesday’s parliamentary hearing, turning frequently to his son James for answers.

But he soon regained his trademark cool.

He said he had known nothing of allegations that staff at the News of the World tabloid hacked into cell phones and bribed police to get information on celebrities, politicians and crime victims, and that he never would have approved such “horrible invasions” of privacy.

In the face of lawmakers’ suggestions that his organization encouraged such behavior, he was unflappable — even after a protester rushed at him in the middle of the hearing.

He stayed seated when the man tried to throw a foam pie at him.

A News Corp. attorney partially blocked the attack, and Murdoch’s 42-year-old wife slapped the prankster.

After the protester was arrested, the billionaire simply shed his splattered suit jacket and continued answering questions.

The Guardian newspaper then found out that Murdoch’s papers had paid out more than $1.6 million to settle lawsuits involving allegations of eavesdropping on phone messages.

The scandal became a crisis for News International this month with the revelation that the News of the World had hacked into the phone of a 13-year-old murder victim, Milly Dowler, in hopes of getting material for news stories.