By Kareem Johnson, Nicole Bode and Tom Liddy
DNAinfo Staff
MANHATTAN — The FBI is reportedly set to investigate Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation after allegations surfaced that its reporters might have tried to hack into the cellphones of 9/11 victims.
The Associated Press reported that the FBI will look into whether Murdoch's scandal-scarred tabloid reporters from Britain's News of the World extended their reach into the U.S., hacking into phones here as they allegedly did in England.
Rival British tabloid The Daily Mirror reported that the paper's reporters tried to bribe a former NYPD officer to turn over private phone records of people who died in the Sept. 11 attacks.
The beleaguered News of the World was shut down last week amid allegations that they paid off police in Britain, hacked into the cellphone of a murdered schoolgirl in 2002 and conducted a host of other ethical and legal violations.
Murdoch and his son James are expected to appear before Parliament to testify about the allegations this week, according to reports.
U.S. lawmakers had called for a domestic investigation by the Department of Justice as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission after reports surfaced that News of the World reporters may have tried to infiltrate the cellphones of 9/11 victims, Politico reported Wednesday.
The investigation was spurred, in part, by a letter from Long Island Rep. Peter King, who blasted the alleged tactics, according to the New York Times.
"It is revolting to imagine that members of the media would seek to compromise the integrity of a public official for financial gain in the pursuit of yellow journalism," the letter, obtained by the Daily News, reads.
"The 9/11 families have suffered egregiously, but unfortunately, they remain vulnerable against such unjustifiable, parasitic strains."
King called for felony charges if the allegations are substantiated.
Sally Regenhard, vice-chairwoman of the 9/11 Parents and Families of Firefighters & World Trade Center Victims, told Politico that she supports a probe.
"I think we really need to look at national and international standards for security for privacy for this type of thing," Regenhard said. "It’s hard enough for people to deal with the 10th anniversary [of 9/11] and now this – it just adds more salt to the wounds."
Regenhard lost her son, a firefighter, on Sept. 11.
When asked during a press conference on Wednesday, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said that there had been no indication that 9/11 victims' phone messages had been hacked. "We have not been contacted by any of the authorities in the UK," he said.
The FBI referred calls to the US Department of Justice, which said in a statement: “The department does not comment specifically on investigations, though anytime we see evidence of wrongdoing, we take appropriate action. The department has received letters from several Members of Congress regarding allegations related to News Corp. and we’re reviewing those.”
News Corp. declined comment.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Daily Mirror report.
