London Police Investigate Allegations Against Washington Post Publisher Will Lewis

London police are investigating allegations that Will Lewis, the newly appointed publisher of the Washington Post, was involved in the intentional mass deletion of emails over a decade ago. This inquiry stems from claims made by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who has urged the Metropolitan Police to examine what he describes as new evidence linking Lewis to efforts to conceal emails during the investigation into phone hacking scandals involving Rupert Murdoch’s UK tabloids. In a report by the Guardian, Brown stated that Lewis admitted in a meeting that emails were deleted due to concerns that he and MP Tom Watson were attempting to obtain emails from Rebekah Brooks, then head of Murdoch’s News International. While Lewis has denied any wrongdoing and is not currently a defendant in related lawsuits, the allegations have raised significant concerns within the Washington Post newsroom, prompting calls for his resignation from some staff members. News UK, the parent company of Murdoch’s tabloids, has strongly refuted claims of attempting to obstruct the police investigation. A spokesperson emphasized that the company faced genuine security threats in 2011, which were not part of any cover-up. They accused Brown of trying to influence the police in favor of claimants involved in ongoing civil proceedings. Despite the turmoil, Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has expressed his support for Lewis, asserting that the paper's journalistic standards will remain intact. Brown criticized the media's ethical lapses, urging that financial struggles should not lead to operating outside the law.