A Santa Maria, Calif., jury acquitted him of child molestation
charges in June 2005, after which he retreated into the
seclusion of his Neverland ranch.
But during breaks in the trial, Jackson says he was being
pressured to sign off on a multimillion-dollar financing deal
by Don Stabler, an associate brought in by brother Randy, his
go-to guy on financial matters during much of his career.
Jackson initially took a liking to Stabler after Randy
introduced them.
"He reminded me of people that live in mid-America like
Indiana," Jackson testified.
Stabler was persistent, at one point during the trial sending a
message through one of Jackson's Nation of Islam security
guards that questioned the singer's faithfulness to his
African-American heritage.
It was a sore point for someone who has denied he purposely
lightened his skin.
By then, Jackson had turned to Burkle, the billionaire pal of
former President Bill Clinton, for financial help. Burkle
brought in Jesse Jackson, who's known Michael Jackson since his
Jackson 5 days, to help with the consultation.