A secretly made recording of Rupert Murdoch talking to his staff at the height of the Leveson inquiry into his newspapers’ extensive, illegal hacking of crime victims’ and celebrities’ phones, and bribery of police officers, suggests that he knew of and sanctioned the conduct: “It’s the biggest inquiry ever, over next to nothing.” “What you’re asking is: what happens if some of you are proven guilty? What afterwards? I’m not allowed to promise you – I will promise you continued health support – but your jobs. I’ve got to be careful what comes out – but frankly, I won’t say it, but just trust me.” He also promises to use his newspapers to “hit back” at government and police.