News Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch has been testifying before the Leveson Inquiry this week to determine whether he used his media entities to illegally influence the British government.
Aside from admitting that he "failed" in handling the News of the World properly, Murdoch seems apt to deny all accountability in regards to the scandal, so on Thursday night's "Daily Show" Jon Stewart took a moment to put him in his place.
The Australian mogul has been under fire since last July when the News of the World phone hacking scandal became international news, but he still prevails in alleging that he was ignorant of his corrupt businesses. The responsible parties? His employees, Murdoch claims.
"My God!" Stewart joked. "This scandal goes all the way to the bottom!"
Ethics-wise, it's hard to deny that Murdoch has been close with Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and current prime minister David Cameron over the years, but he's trying to downplay the possible implications of those friendships as well. "That is a complete myth... that I used the influence of The Sun, or the supposed political power, to get favorable treatment," he said in Thursday's hearing.
Stewart requested some clarification:
Now when you say you never used influence to get favorable treatment -- it is a myth -- do you mean that as in it's a fanciful way of explaining things that are hard to explain, or that it's a story about how grotesquely powerful beings assume various forms to f*ck mortals?
While we have a feeling Murdoch won't own up to morphing into a swan any time soon, the questions stand.
Watch the full clip above and let us know what you think in the comments.