by Gouda » Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:25 am
<!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060708/ap_on_en_mu/michael_jackson">news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060...el_jackson</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Man claims Jackson hired him to adopt boys</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special CorrespondentSat Jul 8, 7:57 AM ET<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>A former associate suing Michael Jackson for $1.6 million suddenly claimed on the witness stand Friday that he once was dispatched to help the pop star adopt boys in Brazil, </strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->but the singer's attorney denounced the story as a smear.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Even the lawyer for former Jackson associate F. Marc Schaffel said he was shocked when Schaffel blurted out the claim while being questioned about his background in the gay pornography business.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>"It's not really relevant to this case," Schaffel's attorney Howard King said outside court. "I thought we were not going to go there. We've tried to be upstanding."</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mundell, said he had never heard the allegation during all the pretrial investigations.<br><br>"It was an effort to smear Mr. Jackson with a remark that could be interpreted to hurt him in light of the case against him last year," Mundell said. Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges last year in Santa Maria.<br><br>Schaffel is seeking $1.6 million from Jackson, down from the $3.8 million his lawsuit originally claimed he was owed for unpaid loans, royalties and other debts.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Schaffel was being questioned about his personal ties in Brazil when he denied that he had been on a trip to recruit talent for gay videos.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>"No, I've not used any Latin models," Schaffel said.<br><br>Mundell then asked if he had an interest in a company known as Latinboys.<br><br>Schaffel bristled and said he did not, then blurted out, <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>"The main purpose of my trip was Mr. Jackson wanted to adopt some boys."</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>He had testified earlier that Jackson sent him to Brazil in 2001 to deliver $300,000 to a "Mr. X" in Argentina and said he went to Brazil to withdraw the money from a personal account he had there.<br><br>But Schaffel never disclosed what the mission was about, and, in a videotaped deposition of Jackson that was played Friday, the pop star denied that he ever sent Schaffel to deliver money to Argentina.<br><br>He was asked, "Have you ever asked Mr. Schaffel to make payments to third parties that you didn't want anybody else in the world to know about?"<br><br>Jackson answered "No."<br><br>"Have you ever asked Mr. Schaffel to pay $300,000 to a family in Buenos Aires?" asked King.<br><br>Jackson, appearing taken aback, laughed and said, "No."<br>...<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p></p><i></i>
