ENGLAND – In a two-and-a-half hour parliamentary hearing, James Murdoch has continued to deny being told three years ago that Santa Claus was not a real person.
The News International chief had been accused of having an adult understanding of the North Pole resident, but has insisted that only until recently he was still under the impression that Santa would be delivering presents this year.
Despite best attempts of the House of Commons, Mr Murdoch stood firmly behind his testimony that the notion of Santa Claus was a fictional character used to amuse young children during the holiday season “was news to me.”
‘So Santa isn’t coming to town?’
Labour MP Tom Watson lead in quizzing Mr Murdoch as to how he could have gone for so long without discovering a fact which was widely known by everyone around him.
“Maybe deep down I didn’t want to know,” he suggested when asked whether he thought it suspicious that Santa was able to deliver presents down the chimney when many houses in fact no longer had any.
“Now I am being told the facts it does all seem a little silly.”
The committee was also told that Murdoch had never questioned the impossibility of one man delivering presents to every child in the world over a single night.
“I always assumed he partnered with FedEx or something.”
But James Murdoch’s account of ignorance was quickly contradicted by former News of the World lawyer Tom Crone and ex-editor Colin Myler – both already testifying they told Mr Murdoch the truth behind the Christmas icon.
Mr Murdoch spoke of a key piece of evidence known as the “North Pole pile”, it contained thousands of undelivered messages to Santa’s workshop, including at least a dozen written by Mr Murdoch himself.
However, he denied being shown any letters during a June 2008 meeting with Mr Crone, saying that as far as he knew “Santa got every letter I wrote to him.”
Who knew what and when?
Labour MP Tom Watson was left stunned to hear that the 38-year-old was still under the impression Santa Clause was a real person.
“Do you mean to tell this committee today that before this investigation started you had no idea that he [Santa] was a fictional character?”
“That is true,” agreed Mr Murdoch.
“And you still planned to put milk and cookies out this year with the express intent of them being consumed by Father Christmas?”
“Yes I did.”
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