Report: Former Editor Andy Coulson, Now a Top UK Aide, Had Royals' Phones Hacked

LONDON (Sept. 2) -- The man who now serves as the British prime minister's chief spin doctor allegedly encouraged journalists to illegally hack the phone messages of hundreds of celebrities, government officials and soccer stars while he was editor of a national newspaper, according to an exhaustive investigative report in The New York Times.

Andy Coulson -- now communications director for Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party -- was editor of weekly tabloid the News of the World (NoW) when one of his reporters was jailed for illegally accessing phone messages intended for Pr inces William and Harry. The ex-editor has always denied knowing anything about the practice.

Oli Scarff, Getty Images

Andy Coulson, the Conservative party director of communications, arrives at the Conservative party headquarters on May 7. A new report says that when he was editor of the weekly tabloid News of the World, Coulson urged reporters to tap into the phones of hundreds of celebrities, including Princes William and Harry.

But former NoW reporter Sean Hoare told the Times that Coulson had listened to hacked messages when they worked together at another tabloid, The Sun, and that Coulson "actively encouraged me to do it" at the NoW. Another former reporter at the paper said, "Everyone knew [about the hacking]. The office cat knew."

Police officers also told the paper that they were put under pressure not to pursue allegations of hacking, because of Scotland Yard's close relationship with the paper -- which, like The Sun, is owned by media magnate Rupert Murdoch.
Scotland Yard has rejected claims of a cover-up, and said they would not reopen the investigation.

Read more in The New York Times.