FBI files on Michael Jackson

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) kept records on the American singer Michael Jackson, which were released under the Freedom of Information Act on December 22, 2009. In response to perceived threats against Jackson and allegations of child sexual assault made against him, the FBI "made several investigations" into Jackson, "none of which led to charges". Between 1993 and 2005, Jackson was investigated by California law enforcement agencies due to allegations of child abuse. The FBI provided technical and investigative assistance to these agencies during the cases. They also investigated threats made against Jackson and others by Frank Paul Jones who was later imprisoned for these crimes. These investigations occurred between 1993 and 2005 and in each allegation, the FBI found no evidence of criminal conduct on Jackson's behalf.
The records released consist of 333 pages of over 600 pages total and appear divided into 7 parts on their official website. These files include copies of letters from members of the public commenting on his performances, newspaper clippings, and various documents reporting that Jackson was the target of extortion attempts, terrorist threats, and more. Many of these topics were dissected in significant media coverage of the FBI files on Michael Jackson upon release, and for years that followed.
FBI monitoring and investigation of Jackson.
Prior to events recorded in Jackson's file, the FBI began monitoring Michael Jackson by 1992, when they "looked into death threats against Jackson by a man obsessed with his sister, Janet." Starting in 1993, federal agents began looking into Jackson's alleged involvement with young children. This continued for almost 10 years before the 2003 arrest. In 2004, the FBI assisted with investigating abuse allegations against Jackson. At Jackson's trial in 2005, Santa Maria law enforcement reached out to the FBI as they feared the trial could be a "soft target" for terrorism. 2005 also marks the last year of the FBI's investigations into Jackson according to the released files.
Part one: FBI monitoring tabloid articles on Jackson.
Part 01 of 07 of the FBI files consisted of 10 pages, primarily legal documents and tabloid newspaper clippings. The clippings make mention of an alleged 1993 phone call that took place between Jackson and Terance George, a British disc jockey, where phone sex was alleged. Allegedly, the phone call took place in 1979 when Jackson was 20 and George was 13 years old. Revelations from the tabloid clippings in the FBI files show that it was the British native that pursued contact with Jackson and not the other way around and that "the final rejection came four years later when Terry tried to rekindle their friendship when Jackson came to London again. Terry tracked him down and was even photographed alongside his idol, but now the management was on hand to issue the polite brush-off."
In 2003, 10 years after George accused Jackson, he cheerfully recalled his 1979 interview with him in Louis Theroux’s documentary, "Louis, Martin & Michael". When asked about the accusation he said "it came out really without my authority" and "it developed from somebody who had a big mouth, basically, one of my close friends who knew about the story." Regarding whether the story was true George told Theroux "parts of it are true yeah...parts of the story are true...I mean I would say the majority is true but papers get their bit and they twist it and they make things a bit sensationalized really." With no proof, no recorded phone call, and nothing reported to law enforcement or lawsuits filed, nothing ever materialized over George's allegation and Legat London and the FBI took no further action.
Part two: forensics analysis of Jackson's computers.
Part 02 of 07 of the FBI files consisted of 44 pages orbiting around the forensics analysis of Jackson's computers and hard drives. As a result of investigatory raids on Jackson's properties in 2003, 16 hard drives were confiscated in total. The results of what the FBI's Computer Analysis Response Team (CART) found on these hard drives were in a report addressed to Sheriff Jim Anderson, dated April 5, 2004. The FBI meticulously went through all 16 hard drives and found nothing incriminating on them. The hard drives contained no form of illegal material, and the computer's history contained no record of accessing or searching for such material. On March 29, 2004, CART forwarded 4 DVDs to the Forensic Audio Video Image Analysis Unit (FAVIAU) for file formatting issues and requested that the files be converted to a readable format. Sometime after the conversion, it was noted that "there are no outstanding leads or evidence items."
Part three: LAPD seeks Mann Act assistance and investigators determine the credibility of other allegations.
The 59 pages that inhere part 03 of 07 of the FBI files provide an early timeline for the 1993 allegations against Jackson. This file indicates that it was on September 8, 1993, when there was a request for the FBI assistance with investigations into the first accusations of sexual abuse against Michael Jackson. It is learned that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) wanted the FBI to assist with prosecuting Jackson under the Mann Act, also known as the White-Slave Traffic Act. The law prohibited the transportation of anyone over state borders for the purpose of illegal sexual acts and was first used as a tool for political prosecution against boxing champion, Jack Johnson. It is also revealed that the request was short-lived as on September 8, 1993, the United States Attorney declined to prosecute Jackson for violating the Mann Act.
The remaining pages in this file include various allegations against Jackson throughout 1993, with many of the pages being replicated from file part one. Other allegations being tracked by various newspaper clippings included detectives traveling to the Philippines to interview a couple who use to work for Jackson. Due to credibility issues over back pay, their claims were dismissed. Other accusations against Jackson included a writer who claimed that Jackson sexually molested 2 Mexican boys in 1985 or 1986. The writer contradicted this by also claiming that after being investigated by the FBI, the government-assisted in a cover-up because Jackson was to receive an honor in 1984, from the President at the White House. After checking their own archives, the FBI concluded that no such reference was found.
Part four: video analysis.
Containing only 9 pages, Part 04 of 07 focuses on the analysis of a multi-generational poor quality VHS tape seized by US Customs in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1995. The tape was labeled "Michael Jackson’s Neverland Favorites An All Boy Anthology" but the files do not mention that Jackson himself owned the tape or had anything to do with it. The investigation of whether it contained child pornography was concluded on January 24, 1997. No charges were filed.
Part five: 2003–2005 period accusations.
The 18 pages in Part 05 of 07 of the FBI files provide documentation of a brief timeline of the 2003–2005 accusations from an indictment, to arrest, to CART and the FBI's investigatory assistance, to the trial's acquittal. The documents found here also reveal that police in Santa Barbara, where Jackson stood trial, contacted the FBI because they feared he might become a terrorist target. At the molestation trial, the FBI concluded there was little risk of terrorism. They noted that a Nation of Islam follower and a New Black Panther Party member attended one court appearance. Both parties remained unnamed in the file. Jackson was acquitted of all charges on June 13, 2005.
Part six: death threats and extortion attempts.
Part 06 of 07 is the FBI's largest released file on Jackson, consisting of 199 pages. This part examines death threats against Jackson and others by Frank Paul Jones, who served two years in prison for sending threatening letters. Jones' conviction was the result of a letter that read, "I am going to Washington, D.C., to threaten to kill the president of the United States, George Bush." The letter also mentions threats against Jackson where Jones writes, "I will personally attempt to kill if he doesn't pay me my money." Jones was arrested for trespassing on June 22, 1992 at the Jackson family compound in Encino, California.
Part seven: law enforcement interviews the 1993 accuser for 2005 trial.
With only 5 pages, part 07 of 07 is the shortest part of the released FBI files on Jackson. This part reveals investigators’ attempt to pursue the 1993 accuser as a second case to coincide with the 2003 accuser. After a meeting in June 2004 between Santa Barbara Assistant District Attorneys (SBADAs) and the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), it was concluded that a Federal case could still be pursued with the 1993 accuser. A conference call was then held on August 30, 2004, where it was agreed that Santa Maria RA should open a case on the 1993 accuser. A meeting was later held in New York in an attempt to get the 1993 accuser to testify for the 2005 trial. The 1993 accuser informed the two agents in the meeting that he would not testify against Jackson and would "legally fight any attempts to do so." A document dated December 9, 2004, indicates that the case was closed, citing "no outstanding leads or evidence items."
Media reaction.
News media began covering the content of the FBI files after they were released on December 22, 2009. These outlets included "The Guardian", "USA Today", "Variety", MTV, CNN, "Billboard", ABC News, CBC News, BBC, France 24, and Reuters. In a December 2009 edition of "Good Morning America" (GMA), Robin Roberts interviewed former Jackson Family lawyer, Brian Oxman. Oxman revealed that there was a total of 673 pages in the FBI files, and that out of the 333 pages that were released, he says: In all these pages, hundreds of pages, many many hours of investigations ... there's not one scrap of evidence that Michael Jackson ever did anything wrong, committed any crime. It's almost a vindication, when you look at this. The FBI looked at all of these matters and said, 'There's nothing here.' In the same segment of the show, a former investigator for the FBI told GMA that due to local law enforcement's limited capabilities, it was common that the FBI get involved as they were well-resourced to assist in such manners.
The FBI files would again attract media attention when in 2013 a London tabloid reported that there were "secret FBI files" that revealed Jackson paid millions in hush money to dozens of other boys he allegedly abused. Journalists soon started to question tabloid reports. Drew Griffin, a CNN Special Investigations reporter said, "It just sounds like recycled tabloid reports from 20 years ago." Thomas Mesereau, Jackson's 2005 criminal defense attorney, mentioned that the FBI case into Jackson was closed and that there was no inclusion of the tabloid's claims in the files as he dismissed the reporting by saying, "it sounds like a bunch of utter nonsense." Diane Dimond, who is not a Jackson defender, also dismissed the reports by saying, "The problem is there's no evidence to back up the claim that Jackson made that many payoffs."
In 2016, Radar Online alleged that child pornography was found in the 2003 raid of Jackson's properties, though Part 2 of the FBI files reveal no such evidence was found. The allegation was based on documentation that allegedly was from the police department that investigated Jackson. However, Kelly Hoover, a spokesperson for the police department told "USA Today" the following: Some of the documents appear to be copies of reports that were authored by Sheriff's Office personnel as well as evidentiary photographs taken by Sheriff's Office personnel interspersed with content that appears to be obtained off the internet or through unknown sources. The Sheriff's Office did not release any of the documents and/or photographs to the media. The Sheriff's Office released all of its reports and the photographs as part of the required discovery process to the prosecution and the defense. Judge Melville, the presiding judge of Jackson's 2005 trial, also signed a press statement stating that no child pornography or anything illegal was ever found in Jackson's possession or on his properties.