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Abrams: We're back with another "the abrams report" exclusive. A crucial former defense investigator, his office was raided the same day jackson's ranch was searched and tapes of the interview with the accuser seized. An interview that could become key to jackson's defense. He's never spoken out beforE. I spoke with him before he was subpoenaed as a witness and now for the first time in an exclusive interview, bradley miller brake fwreak silence. At the height of the conspiracy, he was hired to keep a "loose watch" on miller's family. They were concerned that jackson's family would create a story and go to the media if they weren't compensated for the accuser's appearance in the documentry that started the whole case. The documentry in which michael jackson admits to sharing his bed with young boys. They wanted to make a rebuttal video. Miller says the family threats prompted him to get a statement from them on tape to refute any story they might try to sell to the tabloids. The prosecutors offer a very different explanation. We'll talk about that in a moment, but I asked miller if it was possible that jackson wanted to get this statement saying nothing was inappropriate to happen to effectively serve as a get out of jail free card in the event he came to need onE. It is my belief when they started making threats that michael realized this was not a family he needed around them, and I think he would have done anything at the time to distance himself from them or to distance them from him. An answer to the question would be no, though.
Abrams: You are saying that michael jackson was already nervous that this family might make allegations against him?
Miller: I don't know that michael was so nervous. They were trying to do whatever they could to take care of what they saw as a potential problem, a loose cannon, someone who was very well knowledgeable of the 1993 event or allegations and had threatened to do something similar. And that's why it's so interesting that we have the same cast of characterS.
Abrams: You think the boy was up to that or just his mother?
Miller: From what i understand, the boy apparently is also or was very much aware of the 1993 case.
Abrams: Do you think the 13-year-old, 12-year-old boy suffering from cancer is thinking about the big payout from michael jackson?
Miller: I will tell you, dan, that this family every conversation i had with them, every meeting i had with them, any interaction with them centered around either money, fame, celebrity, and/or possessions.
Abrams: Joining me now, westchester new york county d.A. And former general janine pirro. And back with us is court tv's executive investigative editor diane dimon. Let me read quickly what tom sneden, the D.A., Had to say about this tape that brad miller made where the family is on the tape saying nothing happened, great guy, etc. When that tape was sent out to be examined by experts, that tape has all kinds of blanks in it and it was edited and it was stopped and started, which is entirely consistent exactly with what the family will tell you. When brad miller didn't like an answer, he would stop it, erase it, go back and tell them what to say. No question miller would deny that, but diane, that is exactly what we heard from the accuser's sister today in court, right?
Dimond: Exactly. She said that bradley miller came to their apartment, sat a tape recorder down in front of them and said let's all say nice things about michael jackson. I'm paraphrasing, of course, and when they said something he didn't like, he would take the tape recorder, shut it off, rewind it, and record what shea just said and say things like you don't need to talk about that. Talk about this other thing. I think they're going to have trouble getting that tape into court.
Abrams: Michael, it seems to me, though, this family, unfortunately for the prosecutor, has a lot of explanations and a lot of excuses for why they said so many good things about michael jackson at so many different points throughout time.
Bachner: I completely agree with you. They have a lot of explaining to do, and frankly t only way to explain away these types of tapes is to say, well, they were out of context. Well, they shut the tape recorder off, they turned it oN. Frankly, I think that a professional tape editor can clearly discern whether or not that tape has been tampered with and whether it's turned on, turned off or not.
Abrams: And there will also be a question of whether that is the original tape. Maybe they were using sound bytes, etc., For future use. We don't know exactly what the tape is that they got. Because again, they raided the office of brad milleR. Janine pirr ork, let's talk about in general the sister's testimony today. Big deal for the prosecutors?
Pirr I think so. I think that she is another piece of the corroborating evidence. And when the alleged victim takes the stand, i think that what he says will start to ring true. She seems, from what diane said, to be credible, to be intelligent. And it's interesting before we get to trial, dan, we hear about the people as crazies and lunatics and then they take the stand and seem like perfectly reasonable people, but I have to ask a question about brad miller. If he subpoenaed by the defense, isn't he gagged in this case?
Abrams: Sure.
Pirr Well, that's interesting.
Abrams: As I said, we interviewed him before he was subpoenaed.
Pirr OK.
Abrams: We have been holding this interview for a while.
Pirr Ok. I think it's interesting he used the words we kept a loose watch on the family. Why do they need to keep a loose watch on the family? What were they concerned about? That essentially would be an insurance policy for michael in the event there was a problem.
Abrams: Michael, that is what i asked him in the interview and his response was they were concerned that this family was going to go to the story with the tabloids and sell the story to the tabloids.
Bachner: That makes imminent sense. You have to realize -- people forget -- the charge about holding the family doesn't have anything to do with holding the family so there is no disclosure of molestation. The molestation according to the indictment didn't occur until after the brashear interview, so to the extent that the jackson camp is seeking to keep the family close is not to cover up a molestation because nothing had occurred yet.
Pirr Then what was the point of keeping the family close? If they were suspicious and thought it was about money and fame and celebrity, why keep them close? Why reach out the the family after one year to get them back to neverland, and why are they getting all these passports and everything else? They are worried about something.
Bachner: It seemed they are worries this famlessly a group of drifters and concerned that based upon comments they have made, that michael jackson based upon an interview that went bad is now the subject of potential --
Abrams: We will continue to cover this. Sorry to interrupt you there, michael. Michael, I haven't seen you in a while. Good to see you in a while. Janine, diane, thanks a lot. You can see more of the exclusive interview with bradley miller on this show tomorrow night in its entirety on "dateline," sunday at 7:00 eastern time. |