Rebekah Brooks Resigns From News International Over Phone Hacking Scandal

3:12 AM PDT 7/15/2011 by Stuart Kemp

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Max Nash/AFP/Getty Images

Brooks is to be replaced by Sky Italia chief executive Tom Mockridge, who will take over immediately.

LONDON - Rupert Murdoch's key London executive Rebekah Brooks has resigned after 11 days of growing political pressure over the phone-hacking scandal.

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•Rupert Murdoch

Brooks told staff at a meeting at International’s Wapping headquarters just early Friday morning that she is exiting her role as News Interntional chief executive.

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She told staff her resignation had been accepted by both Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch.

“While it has been a subject of discussion, this time my resignation has been accepted,” Brooks said in a statement.

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Her high profile exit comes as the situation at News International continues to unravel and the fall out spreads across the Atlantic to the U.S.

"As chief executive of the company, I feel a deep sense of responsibility for the people we have hurt and I want to reiterate how sorry I am for what we now know to have taken place," Brook said in a statement.

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"I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate. This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavours to åfix the problems of the past."

It will free her up to contribute freely to “all the current and future inquiries, the police investigations and the CMS appearance,” Brooks said.

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She, alongside the Murdochs, are due to give evidence to the Culture Media and Sport select committee Tuesday.

The FBI is also launching an inquiry into the possible phone-hacking of 9/11 victims and News Corp.'s most senior executives are now being forced to battle the deepening crisis on multiple fronts.

Read her full memo to staff after the jump.