The news media phone hacking scandal is a controversy over illegal acquisition of confidential information by news media organizations that reportedly occurred in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia between 1995 and 2011. This article includes reference lists for various topics relating to that scandal.
Overview and topics These lists are organized according to the topics shown below in blue type.
By 2002, the practice of publications using private investigators to acquire confidential information was widespread, with some individuals using illegal methods. Victims of these illegal methods included celebrities, politicians, law enforcement officials, solicitors, and ordinary citizens. As this illegal activity became apparent, arrests were made and some convictions achieved. Upon learning their privacy had been violated, some victims retained solicitors and filed suit against news media companies and their agents, in some cases receiving financial payments for violation of privacy. Successful suits and publicity from investigative news articles led to further disclosures, including the names of more victims, more documentary evidence of wrongdoing, admissions of wrongdoing, and potentially related payments. Allegations were made of poor judgement and cover up by news media executives and law enforcement officials. As a result, new investigations were initiated and several senior executives and police officials resigned. There were also significant commercial consequences of the scandal.
Individuals included on these lists are reportedly involved as victims, perpetrators, investigators, solicitors, or responsible oversight officials in the phone hacking scandal. Illegal acquisition of information was allegedly accomplished by accessing private voicemail accounts, hacking into computers, making false statements to officials to obtain confidential information, entrapment, blackmail, burglaries, theft of mobile phones and making payments to officials in exchange for confidential information. The kind of information acquired illegally may have include private communication, physical location of individuals, bank account records, medical records, phone bills, tax files, and organizational strategies.
There is evidence that illegal acquisition of confidential information continued at least into 2010. Solicitors representing victims were targeted for surveillance by news organizations being sued as recently as 2011.
For narrative regarding the background and status of this scandal, see also: News media phone hacking scandal News International phone hacking scandal News Corporation scandal
Victims
For narrative on some of the individuals included on the list of victims below, see their Wikipedia pages and: List of victims of the News International phone hacking scandal News International phone hacking scandal – victims, apologies, compensation, arrests
Surveillance targets These are lists of individuals who were targeted for surveillance beyond simple phone hacking by news media organizations. Some were targeted simply to acquire information for developing a story but others were vocal critics of news media companies and may have been targeted to obtain information with which to influence criminal investigations, civil suits, and Parliamentary hearings.
Critics of news media organizations
This list includes a serving police officer, two solicitors with clients suing News International, and a Member of Parliament. Dates in parentheses indicate the approximate date that surveillance was initiated.
Cook, David; (June 2002) While investigating Jonathan Rees and Sid Fillery in connection with the 1987 murder of Daniel Morgan, Metropolitan Police detective chief superintendent Cook reportedly became a surveillance target of Glenn Mulcaire, who was working for News of the World. Fillery reportedly used his relationship with Alex Marunchak at News of the World to arrange for Mulcaire to obtain Cook's home address, his internal payroll number at the Metropolitan police, his date of birth and figures for the amount that he and his wife were paying for their mortgage. Surveillance of Cook is also reported to have involved physically following him and his young children, attempts to access his voicemail and that of his wife, and possibly attempts to send a "Trojan horse" email in an attempt to steal information from his computer. Documents reportedly in the possession of the Scotland Yard shows that "Mulcaire did this on the instructions of Greg Miskiw, the paper's assistant editor and a close friend of Marunchak." Attempts also appear to have been made to open letters which had been left in Cook's external postbox, indicating a "possible attempt to pervert the course of justice." Rebekah Brooks, then editor for News of the World, was aware of the surveillance. Watson, Tom; (September 2009) Watson had been at odds with News International since 2006, when he quit as Government Minister and signed a letter demanding that Tony Blair resign as Prime Minister. Rebekah Brooks, then editor of News International's The Sun, reportedly stated she would not forgive him for this and that she would pursue Watson for the rest of his life. Watson found himself targeted, with strangers going through his rubbish and harassing his family. As a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, he confronted News International executives with critical observations and probing questions. While the Committee was holding hearings leading to a formal report on phone hacking, three as yet unnamed News International executives arranged for Watson to be put under surveillance by private investigator and former policeman, Derek Webb. Lewis, Mark; (May 2010) While Lewis was representing claimants against News of the World for phone hacking, its parent company, News International, hired Derek Webb to put Lewis and his family under surveillance. This was reportedly part of an attempt to gather evidence for false smears about his private life and thereby interfere with his ability to represent clients. The attempt to discredit the solicitors may also have been intended to protect the reputation of Andy Coulson, formerly editor of News of the World who subsequently became head of communications for the Conservative Party and senior media adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron. A dossier including video taken of his ex-wife and daughter was given to Tom Crone, the senior legal manager at News International. James Murdoch was executive chairman of the company at the time. Lewis told the Leveson Inquiry that "News International sought to destroy my life, and very nearly succeeded." Harris, Charlotte; (January 2011) Like Mark Lewis, Harris also came under surveillance by an agent of News International while representing clients suing the company in relation to phone hacking by News of the World." Her pursuit of evidence for her clients led to disclosure of information that reportedly resulted in the firing of Ian Edmondson from News of the World and the resignation of the prime minister's media adviser, Andy Coulson. Also like Lewis, both she and her family were followed and video-taped, with a dossier given to News International's Tom Crone. The private investigator, Derek Webb, was asked to establish that Harris was having an affair with someone it turned out that she had never met. Over the years, News International had engaged Webb to target more than 90 people.
Other surveillance targets
In November 2011, Channel 4 News disclosed a list of 153 people upon whom private investigator Derek Webb was reportedly asked by the News of the World to carry out surveillance between 2003 and 2011. Listed below are celebrities, politicians and other public figures. Excluded from the list are those who seem to be ordinary members of the public.
Ainsley Harriott Alan Johnson MP Alan Shearer Alan Titchmarsh Alex Ferguson Amie Buck Andy Gray Angelina Jolie Anna Fazackerley Ashley Cole Ben Freeman Benjamin Mwarawairi Beverley Turner Bob Crow Boris Johnson Charles Clarke MP Charles Kennedy Charlotte Harris Chelsy Davy Chris Coleman Chris Huhne Chris Tarrant Clare Short Connie Fisher Daniel Radcliffe and his parents Danny Cipriani David Beckham David Blunkett David Miliband Delia Smith Derek Draper Dirk Kuyt Duke of Westminster Earl Spencer Elle Macpherson Eric Joyce MP Fernando Torres Frank Bruno Frank Lampard Gabby Logan Gary Glitter Gary Lineker Geoff Hoon George Michael Gloria De Piero Gordon Ramsay Gordon Taylor Grace Ononiwu Grant Bovey Harriet Harman Heather Mills Hilary Perrin Ian Wright Jackiey Budden James Cracknell Jane Goldman Jessie Wallace Joanne Armstrong John Motson John Terry Johnny Vaughan José Mourinho Justine Greening Kevin Pietersen Kimberley Fortier Lee Chapman Leslie Grantham Lord Coe Lord Goldsmith Lord Irvine Lord Macdonald Lulu Mark Bosnich Maxine Carr Michelle Lineker Mike Hancock Ms. Dynamite Nigella Lawson Paul Burrell Paul McCartney Paul Ross Peaches Geldof Peter Andre Peter Kenyon Phil Woolas Phillip Schofield Pollyanna Woodward Prince Harry Prince William Richard Hammond Richard Madeley Rik Mayall Rio Ferdinand Ronan Keating Rosie Reid Shabana Mahmood Shahid Malik Shalimar Wimble Sienna Miller Simon Cowell Simon Hoggart Simon Jordan Sophie Anderton Stephen Twigg Steve Arnold Steve McFadden Sue Cleaver Ted Terry Tom Watson MP Tony Pulis Tony Richardson Trevor McDonald Vanya Seager Zoe Williams
Solicitors This is an alphabetical list of solicitors involved in the phone hacking scandal.
Alleged victims of phone hacking The list of alleged victims of phone hacking includes some solicitors. The Law Society noted that it would be a serious offence if this hacking was done with the intention of affecting judicial outcomes.
Kirsty Brimelow; prominent criminal barrister who has represented clients in rape and murder trials. Harris, Charlotte; solicitor representing alleged victims of phone hacking Lewis, Mark; solicitor representing as many as 70 alleged victims of phone hacking including Milly Dowler's family Stephens, Mark; solicitor whose clients have included James Hewitt, who allegedly had an affair with Princess Diana, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Winskell, Robin; sports attorney who has represented prominent footballers in disciplinary trials, FIFA arbritrations, and libel cases.
Representing victims of illegal acquisition of confidential information Tamsin Allen; Charlotte Harris; Partner at the London law firm Mishcon de Reya who represented Max Clifford, who received £400,000 from News of the World. misrepresented as advanced payment for stories. They also paid Harris's costs. Harris has gone on to act for numerous individuals with hacking claims. Steven Heffer, Partner and Head of Media & Privacy at London law firm Collyer Bristow LLP, who acted for about 80 victims. Mark Lewis; As solicitor for the Professional Footballers' Association in 2005, Lewis realized that News of the World was using phone hacking as the basis for a story concerning Gordon Taylor. In 2008, Lewis became the first solicitor to bring a claim for a client relating to phone hacking and went on to win a settlement from the newspaper for phone hacking. Taylor received £700,000. While represent clients against News International, the company hired a private investigator to put Lewis and his family under surveillance. Lewis lost his position at George Davies Solicitors L.L.P because the firm did not want to be involved in his suits. In 2011 Lewis acted for the family of Milly Dowler achieving a record £3 million deal. He joined Taylor Hampton Solicitors in London. Lewis has represented about 100 claimants against the News of the World and other newspapers and has explored filing phone hacking suits in the US. Gerald Shamash; David Sherborne;