Murdock whistleblower found dead

Death of former News of the World reporter investigated

British police are investigating the unexplained death of whistleblower Sean Hoare, the man who broke the story of government involvement in the Murdock empire.

Hoare, a former journo at the Murdock tabloid News of the World, implicated Prime Minister David Cameron’s ex-spokesman in the phone hacking scandal. Now, in a twist reminiscent of the heated run-up to the war in Iraq, he has been found dead of unstated causes.

Ironically, it also echoes a spoof page that has been set up by the Lulz Security hacker group in imitation of The Sun’s online edition, with a headline blaring that Rupert Murdock himself is dead.

In truth, he is in deep consultation with public relations consultants, getting primed and ready for a grilling by a Parliamentary committee. John Whittingdale, the chair of the Culture, Media, and Sport committee, has vowed that the questioning will be “forensic,” going some way to satisfy public anger over the hacking, which apparently even included eavesdropping on various royals.

James Murdock, Rupert’s son and heir to the empire, will be cross-examined about alleged payments to hacking victims, while Rebekah Brooks, Murdock’s protégé, will be questioned about admissions she made back in 2003 concerning payments to police officers for inside information.