More trouble for Hunt as lobbyist tells gory details
Thursday 24 May 2012
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EmailPressure mounted on Tory Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Thursday after a lobbyist and a former special adviser laid out the gory details of his office's dealings with the Murdoch empire over its bid for broadcaster BSkyB.
News Corp lobbyist Fred Michel had 191 telephone calls, sent 158 emails and 799 texts to Mr Hunt's staff between June 2010, when the takeover bid was announced, and July 2011, when it gave up the plan.
Over 90 per cent of those communications went to former special adviser Adam Smith, who resigned over the scandal last month.
But Mr Michel suggested to the Leveson inquiry on Thursday that Mr Hunt knew he was being fed details about his department's handling of the BSkyB bid.
Mr Michel said he believed some of the "feedback" he was given by Mr Smith had been "discussed" with Mr Hunt.
In October 2010 Mr Michel emailed Mr Smith with a briefing memo for the Culture Secretary on the BSkyB bid.
Mr Smith's replied: "Jeremy's response to this - 'persuasive'."
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