FBI Opens Probe Into News Corp. 9/11 Hacking Allegations (Report)

NEW YORK -- The FBI has opened an investigation into allegations that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. tried to hack into the phones of Sept. 11 victims, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Citing people familiar with the situation, the paper said the probe will try to determine whether News Corp. employees illegally accessed or tried to access private calls, voicemail messages or call records of 9/11 victims or their families.

The development marks a new phase of the phone hacking scandal, which now has swept from the U.K. to the U.S.

Reached by The Hollywood Reporter, a News Corp. spokeswoman declined comment.

The news follows a request a day earlier from Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who heads the House Homeland Security Committee. His Long Island district was home to many victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

News Corp.'s stock fell after the news of the FBI investigation. As of 3:30 p.m. ET Thursday, the stock was down 3.4 percent at $15.39.