For a second straight day CNN ignored the newest phone hacking accusations made against its 9 p.m. host Piers Morgan. Major media outlets, including Bloomberg News, msnbc.com, and CBS have reported the story, but Morgan's current employer, CNN, has remained mum on the allegations.
On Wednesday, the ex-wife of Paul McCartney accused a journalist from a British newspaper group of hacking her phone back in 2001, while CNN's Piers Morgan was the editor of one of the group's papers. That prompted a statement by Morgan labeling her claims as "unsubstantiated" and again denying that he hacked phones or ordered anyone else to do so during his time as editor.
Ever since the phone-hacking scandal involving Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers began, Morgan, a former tabloid editor, has been at the center of rumors that he engaged in illegal practices as well. He has already denied having any hand in phone hacking.
Heather Mills is the newest person to accuse Morgan after Member of Parliament Louise Mensch retracted her initial accusation of Morgan after misquoting his book.
Mills, the ex-wife of Paul McCartney, alleged that back in 2001 a journalist from the Trinity Mirror group called her and read to her a phone message from her husband. Mills said she recognized the message and accused the journalist of hacking her phone, to which he admitted and dropped the story.
Morgan was an editor at one of the papers of Trinity Mirror at the time, but that is his closest tie to Mills' story. However, in a 2006 article for the Daily Mail, Morgan admitted to hearing a tape of a phone message McCartney left for Mills.
Members of Parliament publicly called for Mogran to address the accusations, but the committee chair said they had no power to force Morgan to come to Britain and address the charges.
