Piers Morgan: Tarnished Rock Star?

Dec. 20, 2011— -- Former News of the World editor Piers Morgan appeared to backpedal before a British ethics inquiry today, first saying that he didn't believe he had listened to any hacked phone messages, then refusing to discuss how he came to hear a taped conversation between Paul McCartney and Heather Mills.

"I can't discuss where I heard that tape or who made it," Morgan told the Leveson Inquiry looking into Britain's phone hacking scandal.

Asked if he listened to a tape of a phone message, Morgan invoked journalistic privilege: "Yes, I believe it was yes. I'm not going to discuss where I heard it or who played it to me."

Morgan said he "feels like a rock star" with all the "worst ever hits" from his back catalogue being brought out.

When the CNN host was asked by inquiry chairman Lord Justice Brian Leveson whether he thought it was unethical to listen to someone else's message, Morgan said, "It doesn't necessarily follow that listening to someone else talking to someone else is unethical."

Levenson responded that he would be "perfectly happy" to call Mills to ask her whether she gave Morgan permission to listen to her calls, to which Morgan replied, "Well, what do you expect me to say? I'm not going into details."

Mills has previously said that the message was obtained illegally.

Morgan appeared on the defensive after admitting under persistent questioning that he had heard the tortured phone message between Mills and McCartney as their marriage was unraveling. He even remembered McCartney pleading to his wife, singing "We Can Work it Out!" on the phone message.

Earlier he had tesitifed that he did not believe he had listened to any illegally obtained phone messages.

"I do not believe so, no," Morgan told inquiry attorney Robert Jay.

At times testy, cocky and defensive, Morgan testified by videolink from the United States. Before he began hosting "Piers Morgan Tonight" the British-born Morgan was editor of two of London's biggest tabloids: the News of the World and the Daily Mail.

Morgan was fired from his job as editor of the Daily Mirror in 2004 when the paper was forced to concede it published fake photos of British soldiers abusing an Iraqi.

While he was often dismissive of questions about his actions and motives as editor, the atmosphere got notably testy when he was asked about his use of private investigators to find stories for the front pages.

Morgan conceded he was involved in the purchase of information from a source known as "Benji the Binman" who combed the trash cans of celebrities in search of juicy information. It was Benji the Binman who found the documents for stories about pop singer Elton John's personal finances.

"Did I think he was doing anything illegal? No. Did I think he was doing anything on the cusp of unethical? Yes," Morgan said.

The inquiry lawyer challenged Morgan on that statement, suggesting he might want to consult a lawyer about the legality of stealing other people's trash.

Morgan said that there needs to be a better balance in the inquiry, because a lot of the good things that papers were doing at the time have not been covered.

Chairman Leveson disagreed with Morgan's assessment, saying that if he had been following the proceedings he would know that they had mentioned the good things papers do on several occasions.

Morgan has good reason to want to keep his distance from the inquiry -- already more than a dozen journalists have been arrested.

The inquiry was set up by Prime Minister David Cameron after it was made public that News of the World had illegally eavesdropped on the voice mail messages of celebrities and other public figures.

Actors Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and singer Charlotte Church have all spoken before the inquiry about widespread press abuse, while executives and lawyers for Murdoch's News Corp. have defended the tabloid.