Murdoch Scandal: Watch Parliament Hearings Live

Watch Rupert Murdoch & James Murdoch Questioned at Parliament over Phone Hacking Scandal

Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch are answering questions at Parliament regarding the phone hacking and bribery scandal that has crippled News International. While #piegate (Rupert Murdoch getting hit with a pie) may be over, the proceedings continue.

So far, Rupert Murdoch has claimed ignorance of the entire scandal, even though it has been going on for a decade, and this not the first time it has reached Parliament. It's asking a bit too much to expect Parliament to believe that he has been ignorant of all the legal settlements, especially since the scandal has made the news a few times over the past few years.

While CEOs in charge of high-level aspects of their companies, surely the Murdochs would hear about their reporters getting thrown in jail not only via email, but via evening news.

"I don't recall" worked a treat at the Iran-Contra hearings, too. That said, if his shareholders take Rupert Murdoch at his word, this level of ignorance puts him at risk of getting sued by his shareholders, who have watched the Murdoch empire plummet in value by the billions.

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Rupert Murdoch: News Corp. CEO

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It's startling what Rupert Murdoch claims not to know: he's either not telling the truth or tragically out of touch with his own company. Meanwhile, James Murdoch is stepping to answer nearly everything, though we use "answer" loosely.

You can watch the proceedings live below, and also via the BBC, which is providing brief text summaries. While these proceedings may be cathartic to some, nothing of substance is really happening: the Murdochs are either giving speeches or saying "I didn't know"- this does not constitute answering questions. Indeed, they are claiming ignorance to widely-reported stories. Perhaps the Murdochs should be reading the Guardian?

While they'll walk out of Parliament without incriminating themselves, they'll do virtually nothing to slow the momentum of a criminal investigation.

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