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Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has begun to give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics and is expected to defend his handling of News Corp's attempt to take over broadcaster BSkyB.
Mr Hunt has denied News Corp had influence within his office.
A junior special adviser resigned after emails and text messages were released showing a high level of contact.
Mr Hunt has submitted more than 160 pages of memos, emails and text message transcripts to the inquiry.
BBC political editor Nick Robinson says Mr Hunt originally believed his special adviser Adam Smith had done nothing wrong and told friends he would resign himself rather than allow a junior official to resign for him.
Questioning from Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inquiry, is likely to focus on what contact the culture secretary authorised between Mr Smith and News Corp lobbyist Fred Michel.
Mr Hunt is expected to insist he acted in ways which frustrated rather than accelerated News Corp's bid, once he was given the role of overseeing it, our political editor added.
The culture secretary had asked for his appearance at the inquiry to be brought forward after the inquiry released a cache of emails and text messages detailing a high level of contact between the men, but this request was refused by Lord Justice Leveson.
Mr Smith stepped down from his position last month, saying the "content and extent" of his dealings with Mr Michel had not been authorised by the minister.
During his appearance at the inquiry last week, he revealed Mr Hunt had sent a memo to the prime minister indicating support for News Corp's bid weeks before he was asked to decide whether to grant it.
In the memo - written on 19 November 2010, when Business Secretary Vince Cable was in charge of overseeing the bid - Mr Hunt told David Cameron it would be "totally wrong to cave in" to opponents of the deal.
In his evidence, Mr Michel said his dealings with Mr Smith were not "inappropriate" but denied government claims he had exaggerated the closeness of his relationship with Mr Smith. He said references to conversations with "JH" in his emails with Mr Smith were "shorthand" for the culture department.
The inquiry heard Mr Michel made 191 telephone calls and sent 158 emails and 799 texts to Mr Hunt's team, 90% of which were exchanges with Mr Smith.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp unveiled its bid for BSkyB in June 2010 but abandoned it in July 2011 amid outrage over the phone-hacking scandal at its News of the World newspaper. As a result of the outrage, the prime minister set up the Leveson Inquiry to examine media practices.
Media commentator Steve Hewlett told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the events surrounding the takeover bid had a wider significance for the inquiry.
"In the bigger picture this [the inquiry] is about the relations between the press and politicians," he said.
"Cut to the chase, it's really about did Rupert Murdoch's empire have disproportionate influence, and was it of any effect? The BSkyB takeover case has become a kind of touchstone question for Leveson, because if you can get to the bottom of what happened in this case, you might be able to answer that question."
Mr Cameron has supported Mr Hunt but has warned if evidence to the inquiry suggests the ministerial code might have been breached, he will take immediate action. A decision on whether his independent ethics adviser, Sir Alex Allan, should investigate is expected shortly after Mr Hunt gives evidence.
His appearance at the Leveson inquiry also comes the day after the prime minister's former director of communications Andy Coulson was charged with perjury following an investigation into evidence at the 2010 trial of ex-MSP Tommy Sheridan. His appearance as a witness at the High Court in Glasgow took place while he was working at Downing Street.
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