John Dean: "Only Murdoch is suggesting scandal will remain in UK & he's not most reliable source"

[kpete]

John Dean
The Guardian, Fri 12 Aug 2011 21.00 BST

For all you need to know about Rupert Murdoch, look at his lawyers
As Nixon's counsel during Watergate, I can tell from the cost of News Corp's legal team the scandal will not be contained long


In addition to Arnold & Porter, Klein and Dinh retained another top Washington law firm, Williams & Connolly, and the firm's highly skilled criminal defence attorney, Brendan Sullivan, to assist with the criminal investigation in the US. Klein and Dinh retained Mark Mendelsohn, who until recently had been the deputy chief, fraud section, criminal division, of the US department of justice, and understands the department's thinking about prosecuting under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (which prohibits American businesses from bribing foreigners to assist their business, and appears applicable to some of the allegations against News Corp).

..............

Klein and Dinh surely now know the full extent of their problems. If they could state that no person remaining in the News Corp organisation, or the corporation itself, was involved in any criminal misconduct, there would be no reason for them to remain silent. Such a statement would largely end the story. The fact that the lawyers have absolved no one suggests to me that they have discovered potentially serious problems. Only Murdoch is suggesting the scandal will remain in the UK, and he is not the most reliable source.


...........

If the problems are half as serious as the level of legal talent retained suggests, I would not be surprised if News Corp co-operates with the prosecutors to get this matter behind the organisation. Rupert might throw his son James to the wolves. If evidence of wrongdoing by senior figures is found, the lawyers can defend it while requiring the government to prove its case, but they cannot assist in a cover up – a reality I learned the hard way. Rather they must withdraw from representation. And if that happens, we will all know they are fleeing a sinking ship.



http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/scFMj_TExtSNCktbR6AcaqQ/view.m?id=15&gid=commentisfree/2011/aug/12/rupert-murdoch-lawyers-watergate-news-corp&cat=commentisfree

[Lint Head]

1. Murder Doc has so many powerful people in his pocket it may be a struggle to

prove he did illegal deeds in the US.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Sir, Republicon propagandists are not potted plants." - Brendan Sullivan *R)

"They are much more like genetically mutant, chem-soaked, fungicide infested toxic weeds."

- Brendan Sullivan (R)

[SpiralHawk]

3. Sullivan - defender of Traitors -- should aspire to Potted Plantery. As if...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TkR-KeU-T2A/RjI0t1uWIeI/AAAAAAAAAs0/cddIipS0mQs/s320/ficus+plant.jpg