Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation set up a division to investigate wrongdoing in its tabloids, and wrongdoing they reportedly found. "Serious suspected criminality over a sustained period" is how a Reuters source described the findings of investigation into payouts the paper allegedly made to officials. The staff at The Sun is already in the early stages of a rebellion against the management it feels has sold it out, readying allegations News Corporation violated its human rights with the investigation. They're looking to hire attorney Geoffrey Robinson to "question the legality of parent company News Corp's management and standards committee," which has been investigating them, The Guardian reports.

As Reuters' source tells it, the paper basically had public officials on its payroll: "It involves regular cash payments totaling tens of thousands of pounds a year for several years to public officials, some of whom were effectively on retainers to provide information. In totality it involves a six-figure sum." The way News Corp. is playing ball with authorities, it sounds like Sun staffers are on their own for a defense. Robinson wrote in the Times (another Murdoch paper, stuck behind a paywall) on Wednesday that News Corporation staffers "must fight for their rights" as News Corp. cleans house, according to The Guardian.

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Adam Martin