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Jackson Doctor Subpoenaed
Tammie Arroyo / AP Photo
Dr. Arnold Klein, Michael Jackson’s longtime dermatologist, must hand over “any and all” medical records relating to the star, reports The Daily Beast’s Gerald Posner, who has led the coverage questioning Klein’s role.
The Daily Beast has learned that Dr. Arnold Klein, the Beverly Hills dermatologist who treated Michael Jackson for nearly 25 years, is one of a handful of doctors who have now received a “formal request” from the Los Angeles coroner’s office for “any and all” medical records relating to the pop star.
The subpoena served on Dr. Klein is part of the expanding inquiry by authorities into questions about what role prescription drugs played in Jackson’s death. The news also belies Klein’s firm denials, only Wednesday, that he was not the subject of any official probe. Dr. Klein had no comment regarding Thursday’s developments.
The news belies Klein’s firm denials, only Wednesday, that he was not the subject of any official probe.
On Wednesday morning, Dr. Klein told Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America and Larry King in the evening that he was not one of the doctors being investigated by Los Angeles police and boasted "I've not been examined by anyone."
The subpoena was evidently served today. Richard Charnley, Dr. Klein’s attorney, issued a statement, saying: “It was a standard form subpoena and we turned over medical records to the medical examiner in response.
Michael Jackson had visited Dr. Klein's Beverly Hills building two to three times a week after his return to Los Angeles last September. The pop star was last in Dr. Klein's office just three days before he died.
The Daily Beast has also learned that Los Angeles investigators also executed at least three search warrants last week, but sources close to the police refuse to divulge the names of the doctor’s offices on which they were served.
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Gerald Posner is the award-winning author of 10 investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging from political assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism (www.posner.com). Posner lives in Miami Beach with his wife, the author Trisha Posner.
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Gerald Posner is The Daily Beast's Chief Investigative Reporter. He's the award-winning author of 10 investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging from political assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism. His latest book, Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth and Power—A Dispatch from the Beach, was published in October. He lives in Miami Beach with his wife, the author Trisha Posner.
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Gerald Posner is The Daily Beast's Chief Investigative Reporter. He's the award-winning author of 10 investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging from political assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism. His latest book, Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth and Power—A Dispatch from the Beach, was published in October. He lives in Miami Beach with his wife, the author Trisha Posner.
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Gerald Posner is The Daily Beast's Chief Investigative Reporter. He's the award-winning author of 10 investigative nonfiction bestsellers, ranging from political assassinations, to Nazi war criminals, to 9/11, to terrorism. His latest book, Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth and Power—A Dispatch from the Beach, was published in October. He lives in Miami Beach with his wife, the author Trisha Posner.
Gee, just last night Klein told Larry King he turned over Jackson's medical records to the coroner "a long time ago". So, I guess he lied.
Also, he railed against Big Pharma putting toxins into people and not warning them. Guess what? Botox is a toxin and it's manufacturer, Allergan, has one Arnold Klein as a paid consultant. This guy has zero credibility.
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I don't think he lied. I think he was referring to either the reports he turned over when MJ was being sued and charged for child molesting or possibly someother reports he gave to the coronor which may not have been the full and complete record. I am willing to give Dr. Klein the benefit of the doubt. I am amazed that the very people who start to shout "found not guilty" and demand not a word be said about MJ's lengthy list of pedophilia charges, are willing to lynch Dr. Klein. This Dr. has nothing to gain by abusing drug prescriptions he has a huge reputation and long list of clients. The Docs who prescribe this stuff are bottom feeders with no reputation to lose.
First piece of journalism I've read that has some credibility. Unlike that other garbage you have printed about Michael Jackson.
Stick to the facts, Posner. And drop the speculation. Seriously.
MWOMAN, let's first establish that you are the Mistress of Facts. Proof please? Second, let's hear from you about the "garbage" (other than your blog postings) that you find offensive in Posner's writing. Third, if you wish the BEAST to stop "speculation," why do you make your request "seriously?" Oh, I get it: You're joking about your entire remark. Seriously, right?
Good reporting. This guy seemed so shifty on King, his eyes kept darting all around. And when he said Jackson's face was a work of art, he lost me
Dr. Klein is the walking, breathing definition of a Dr-feel-good. Yeah, I know, innocent till proven guilty. But all these decades later no doctor has ever been charged with helping Elvis to his death, and I suspect the same will happen here.
Jackson visited his dermatologist three times a week, consistently? Over several years? Huh? Who ever needed this much dermatological care? For pete's sake, many who are on dialysis don't spend this much time in the doctors office. And don't start up with the skin disease thing. Jackson had bleached his skin of any color, or any trace of the disease years ago.
Still, I doubt anything will come of all these investigations. Seems it never does. The AMA does a terrible job of policing it's own, and that's well known. Doctors are gods, rich gods, the hardest kind to bring down, and they protect their own.
Requesting Jackson's files is a joke. Dr. Klein has had many days to sponge his files clean. I say go after the pharmacies,
take their computers and see who ordered what for whom. But of course, that's not happening either.
It infuriates me that time and time and time again these doctors get away with being glorified pushers of hard core drugs while people sit in jail for years for selling pot. And they not only get away with it, they get rich on it. Over and over again. And no one ever stops it.
The AMA is a lobbying group. It has never been a policing organization. Each state has a medical board for that. Anna Nicole Smith's doctors have been charged criminally. These docs will too; the case is too high profile to sweep under a rug. Scrubbing files will just get the docs in more criminal trouble as the records better respond to pharmacy records.
Mr. Posner is certainly on top of this continuing breaking story. Whether Dr. Klein was or wasn't an enabler, this will eventually leak out and we will all find out soon enough along with the list of names of the other doctors under the search warrants. Good scoop! Keep going!
Poor Elizabeth Taylor. What a hideous ending to a remarkable life. Dr. Klein gave her a Matisse two weeks ago. Why? And why would she thank him on Twitter, of all the tedious places? And if she was too fearful of exposing emotions at MJ's memorial to attend it, why would she acknowledge his bribe, um, gift, to the entire world via Twitter, such a discrete forum with such a gratifying name. My theory: Elizabeth introduced Jackson to this lying dermatologist and either facilitated MJ's drug problem or now regrets the initial introduction. Regardless, she is stranded in mea culpa and will may now kill herself on the shrine of Propofol. Only in Hollywood could such calamities be conveyed on a medium called Twitter.
I think she might just not have wanted to be physically present at such a circus simply because she's addicted herself. Hard to stay sedated during such a public production, esp. if she was going to be asked to speak. Most addicts I've known tend to blame everyone else, e.g, the doctors or the person who ODed for not using in the "right" way. They don't tend to see themselves as responsible for anything until they get themselves clean. I doubt she even sees MJ as an addict so much as the victim of a freak overdose. Either way, you're certainly right that it is sad to see her life ending the way it seems to be. Something else she & MJ had in common.
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Liz Taylor is so far past her prime she does not want tom be seen or photographed. Michael Jackson thought the world of her and (like bowing to the Saudi king) gave her a jewel - maybe a couple carrot diamond or ruby every time he went to her house for a visit.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Jackson did it to himself. When daddy death arrived MJ's soul quietly slipped from his near emaciated bones, which was not the way MJ planned it.
He is one of those people who cannot get into heaven without first admitting to the LAN Lord that had he the chance to do it all over he would have done it differently.
He was not a bad person - he did not do evil except to himself, so the LAN Lord will let him stay close by his kids to spiritually be there to guide them and watch them grow.
The idea of keeping them masked was very smart on his part. The kids ought to go into business for themselves - do some mask reproduction and go into sales.
Those masks would sell!
Dr. Klein did not lie. This article is just slandering him by insinuation in order to get some attention. What else is new? Dr. Klein said he gave records to the medical examiner and he did was not under investigation. Now he knows he is. So what? Obviously the police need all records from all the doctors that Jackson was seeing so that they can get a complete medical history. The police investigation is not the same as the coronor's office. Get real.
I need to correct myself, the medical examiner has requested the records, Klein must have been referring to another investigation when Jackson was being tried for molesting a minor. Regardless - this guy Posner is bordline slandering the guy. His "investigative reports" are all insinuation. Really reckless and sensationalism he represents the worst of the worst in this MJ fiasco.
MAPPO, reporters report. They are not "mad," as "Maddymappos" are. Your idea of Posner's "bordline slandering" is laughable: first, learn to spell; second, learn to discern obvious truth from smarmy support for a sleazeball doctor.
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