Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown alleged that journalists working for Murdoch news organization, News of the World and The Sun, illegally tapped into his personal information.
According to the Guardian, over a 10 year period The Sun and News of the World attempted to “obtain his legal, financial, tax, medical and police records as well as to listen to his voicemail.”
Although investigators indicate illegal actions were not always taken, it became an unusual norm. Practices included; using a private investigator, conman Barry Beardall, and impersonation to obtain sensitive and confidential information.
Allegedly, these practices allowed the news organizations access to personal medical information regarding Brown’s children and uncovered the emails that led to McBride’s resignation in 2009.