Revealed: Brooks’ cozy relations with No 10

The 43-year-old Brooks in July last year as chief executive of News International, Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper.

She has twice been arrested and questioned by police about illegal eavesdropping and obstruction of justice.

She told the so-called Leveson inquiry of her close ties to those in power and acknowledged she received messages of support from politicians including Cameron and former Prime Minister Tony Blair when she stepped down.

The ethics inquiry is focusing on links between British politicians and the press, chiefly Murdoch’s media empire.

As the phone hacking scandal unfolded, unease has grown about what favors the newspapers may have received in return for editorial support.

Brooks acknowledged Friday that she had received “indirect messages” – seemingly SMS messages sent by the aides of politicians, but relaying their personal thoughts – after she stepped down.

“I received some indirect messages from No. 10, No. 11, the Home Office and Foreign Office,” Brooks said, referring to Cameron, Treasury chief George Osborne, Home Secretary Theresa May and Foreign Secretary.

She agreed with inquiry lawyer Robert Jay that a message from Cameron had told her to “keep your head up” and expressed regret that he could not be more loyal because of the political pressure he was under over the hacking scandal.

The message was “along those lines, I don’t think they were the exact words,” Brooks said.

Blair, who quit as Prime Minister in 2007, had also sent a message, but few other Labour Party politicians had been in touch, she said.

Cameron set up the ethics inquiry, led by Lord Justice Brian Leveson, in July following revelations that the News of the World had hacked murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s phone after she disappeared in 2002.

Murdoch shut down the newspaper amid widespread public revulsion over the hacking.

MOL/JR/HE

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