SCANDAL

News Corp. Lawyer: James Murdoch Knew

Claims to have told him of phone hacking in 2008.

Julian Pike, a partner at the British law firm that represents the queen, told Parliament Wednesday that James Murdoch knew of phone hacking at News of the World in May 2008. Pike’s statement came just months after Murdoch testified that he had believed phone hacking to be the work of only a single “rogue reporter” when he authorized a payment to a victim in July 2008. But Pike says that on May 27, 2008, he met with Murdoch and that he had been sent a briefing memo from other lawyers representing News Corp. that made clear other journalists had hacked phones as well. One M.P. asked Pike, “I’m just imagining a headline: 'Queen’s Solicitors Knew the News of the World Was Lying to Parliament but Did Nothing About It.' Do you think that reflects well or badly?” He replied that he was obligated to act on behalf of his current client, though admitted the headline “is obviously not ideal.”