Five years ago a whistle blower came forward to expose the criminal hacking and other illegal practices here in the US. The report he presented to a Senate staffer could have brought the scandal into the the public eye, at the time Rupert Murdoch was trying to acquire the Wall Street Journal. Had the scandal broken then, the acquisition might never taken place. But Robert Emmel, the whistle blower, made one mistake. The staffer, to whom he entrusted the material, worked for Chuck Grassley (R-IA). The report was buried.
A top investigator for the Senate Finance Committee, working under Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), may have had smoking gun evidence of News Corp’s hacking activity. While News Corp’s British subsidiaries have received the most media attention for systematically hacking the cell phone and personal records of private citizens, the public still has heard little of allegations relating to similar conduct perpetrated by News Corp against its American competitors. ThinkProgress has learned that not only did a sensitive tip come to Grassley’s office about News Corp’s cyber attacks against other American companies, but authorities may have failed to look into the matter partially because a staffer named Nick Podsiadly allegedly never followed through on his promise to the whistleblower.
In December 2006, Robert Emmel, an account executive in News Corp’s profitable marketing division called News America Marketing, mailed Grassley’s office a 58-page document detailing News Corp’s unfair business practices. News America Marketing had won incredibly lucrative contracts away from a New Jersey-based firm called Floorgraphics not too long after Floorgraphics caught someone with a News Corp I.P. address illegally accessing password-protected information on the company’s computer system. As critics have pointed out, the alleged hacking attempts by News America Marketing seem to mirror information-stealing tactics used by News Corp’s British newspapers, including the now-defunct News of the World tabloid.
In 2006, Grassley was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Emmel had gone to the committee looking for help. According to court filings, Grassley investigative staffer Nick Podsiadly had spoken with Emmel and told him that the committee would consider its own inquiry into the matter or he would refer the documents to the Justice Department. Podsiadly was Emmel’s best hope… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
Murdoch forced Emmel into bankruptcy.
I find it impossible to believe that a matter so explosive was not brought to Grassley’s attention, and consider it highly probable, given his track record for disingenuous subterfuge, that Grassley made the decision to bury the report, perhaps to assist Murdoch in acquiring the Wall Street Journal.
7 Responses to “Was Grassley Covering-up for Murdoch?”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Of course Grassley knew about it and of course, it wouldn’t get investigated. Murdoch likely works the political machinery here as he does in the U.K., Australia and anywhere else that he provides propaganda services for a right wing political party.
Most likely it did come to Gassley’s attention but he didn’t want his good buddy, Murdock, to come under fire.
I wonder how much Murdock et al donated to Grassley’s campaign.
You BET Grassley is in Murdoch’s pocket. That’s why BOTH crooks must GO!
I hope all those assholes go to jail, including Grassely – lying fucker!.
Ususally, where there is smoke there is fire! If Grassley didn’t know, he ought to have known. Personally, I don’t believe he didn’t know.
Even though he is under a non disclosure court order, the DOJ should be able to investigate, prosecute and provide Emmel with some sort of legal protection in the interest of the greater good. Nobody can undo Emmel’s stress and bankruptcy that all came as a result of Murdock’s reign of terror with Grassley’s unstinting assistance, but hopefully he can get a measure of justice with the conviction of Murdock and Grassley. They should both be forced to pay Emmel reparations. And Podsiadly, he also needs to be prosecuted with obstruction of justice or something that will tie him into Murdock and Grassley.
Thank you to Emmel for having the ethics to try to expose these morons!
Bob Emmel, the Whistleblower is one of America’s finest and most ethical human beings from this and many recent articles for taking the hit (both personally and professionally) that many of us did not and have not taken! ! It looks as if he went to a highly trusted and public paid servant for justice and Grassley along with his side kick Nick “nothing done” Podsiadly for help. Both of these “characters” (I am being kind) should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for obstruction of justice, holding back information, etc. Emmel, for starters should get back pay from the stealing, lying, illegal tactics, strong arming, disgusting News America Marketing! News America Marketing heads should all be prosecuted from the top down including their CEO Paul Carlucci (what a thug) and the President Chris Mixon who think their poop doesn’t stink. Well, we are in America where the little person can be heard versus a billion dollar corporation. Sorry Rupert and Team – – – payback is a bitch and your better watch your backside in prison.
Welcome, Friend. 🙂
Thanks for this.