Rupert Murdoch says he is "surprised" by how long email contacts between one of his executives and the government and went on during his BSkyB bid.
But the News Corp boss said Frederic Michel, who repeatedly refers to contacts with Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, had not done anything wrong.
Mr Hunt's special adviser Adam Smith has quit over the emails and the minister faces calls to follow him.
Mr Murdoch, 81, is giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.
Asked whether he was surprised by the extent of Mr Michel's contacts, he said: "I didn't see anything wrong with his activities. Was I surprised it had gone on so long - there were so many emails? Yes."
Mr Michel is News Corp's senior vice-president of government affairs and public policy.
The media mogul told the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice he did not believe he had ever met Mr Hunt and he "certainly didn't discuss" the bid.
Before the inquiry, Labour leader Ed Miliband said it beggared belief that Mr Hunt was still in his job "because to believe he should stay, you have to believe that his special adviser acted as a lone wolf".
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Jeremy Hunt is, if you like, acting as a firewall, because if he goes, the questions will then move to David Cameron's conversations with Rebekah Brooks [former News International chief executive], with James Murdoch and others."
But John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture select committee, said it was unclear to what extent the emails were accurate and it was right to wait and see what Lord Justice Leveson concludes.
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