News Corp. Inundated With Phone Hacking Lawsuits

The British tabloid at the center of the scandal is facing about 35 lawsuits, according to the Wall Street Journal

It remains unclear whether News Corp.'s U.S. properties had the same penchant for phone hacking and bribery as the News of the World, but the shuttered British tabloid may be racking up enough civil lawsuits for the media conglomerate on its own.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that "about 35 privacy-invasion lawsuits" have now been filed against the News of the World, up from two dozen in April.

The News of the World is the newspaper at the center of the entire phone hacking scandal — 10 of its former editors and reporters have been arrested, as has Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator the paper employed.

The Journal, which is owned by News Corp., also claims that News International, News Corp.'s British publishing arm, has allotted $24.4 million to $32.6 million to cover potential litigation. 

So far just two cases have been resolved, and the judge now in charge of adjudicating settlements said he hopes to start processing claims in September.

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