Santa Barbara County Sheriff Denies Leaking Rowe Video

On July 27, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff, District Attorney, and County Counsel received a letter from Howard King, an attorney for Marc F. Shaffel, alleging the sheriff leaked seized information on Michael Jackson to gossip website TMZ. King stated the sheriff inappropriately released a videotaped interview and other video footage Shaffel created with Michael Jackson’s ex-wife, Debbie Rowe. The footage was seized during the 2004 criminal investigation into child molestation allegations.

In a press release from the Sheriff’s Department Sheriff Bill Brown responded to the letter:

“Mr. King’s allegation is preposterous.

I was not sheriff at the time of the Michael Jackson case, and I have never released any information relating to it.

The only recipients of such information from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department were the District Attorney’s office, and presumably Jackson’s numerous defense attorneys, through the normal discovery process.”

On July 30, King revealed that the only source for his allegations was TMZ. He also confirmed that TMZ later denied they received this information from the Sheriff’s Department.

Source: MJFC / Santa Maria Sun