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A year after Michael Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges, a lawsuit by a former associate is headed for a trial that will put Jackson’s chaotic financial dealings in the spotlight. The pop star is not expected in court but he will be seen through videotaped depositions.
Jackson’s being sued by former associate Marc Schaffel for $3.8 million dollars. Schaffel says
the entertainer owes him for loans and expenses, salary for work on a charity record and for a share of proceeds from two TV specials.

His brief reads, “Jackson carried no credit cards, wrote no checks, carried no ‘walking around money’ and had people attending to his every need.
“Jackson hired competent advisers to make business decisions then frequently ignored the decisions being made and…incurred expenses without regard to any rational limits or accountability, as though funds were endless.
Some of the specific monetary requests Schaffel claims he fulfilled for Jackson include making a $1 million payment to Marlon Brando in return for appearing at a concert and in a music video and purchasing a $600,000 piece of jewelry for Elizabeth Taylor in exchange for her signature on a release.

Meanwhile, Schaffel is also expected to bring up some of the facts from Jackson’s child molestation trial when he testifies about his role in dealing with the family of Jackson’s accuser. However, the majority of his witnesses are expected to be financial types, including money managers and business advisors.

Jackson denies the claims, insisting Schaffel is a “professional swindler” who, on the contrary, owes him money. His spokeswoman, Raymone K. Bain, reveals the singer is not expected to testify in the Santa Monica trial, although he’ll be seen in videotaped depositions.
Jury selection begins next month.