AP sources: FBI’s News Corp. probe goes to Russia
Mar 5, 2012, 4:48 PM
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) – The FBI is investigating whether a Russian billboard company once owned by media giant News Corp. bribed local officials to get sign placements approved.
Two people familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press that it will examine operations at former News Corp. subsidiary News Outdoor Russia.
The investigation grew out of Britain’s phone hacking scandal, which revealed that journalists at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid illegally eavesdropped on politicians, celebrities, sports stars and even crime victims to score scoops.
The two people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
A spokeswoman for News Corp. in New York did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)