News Corp Slipped Brooks $2.7M Payout

Rebekah Brooks may have quit News Corp in disgrace at the height of the phone hacking scandal, but the less-than-harsh terms of her severance package are again grabbing headlines. The "loyal lieutenant," as the Guardian calls her, landed a $2.7 million severance, along with two years of a chauffer-driven limo and posh offices in London. The renewed interest in Brooks' deal comes as Murdoch son James is set to make a second appearance this week before a Parliament committee investigating the scandal.

"It is remarkably curious that such an generous package is given to Ms Brooks when others have been cut loose," says one MP. "It is almost as if she hasn't really left the company. I am sure Mr Murdoch will want to explain the decision to his shareholders." (More Rebekah Brooks stories.)