Former Jackson Manager Testifies

The attorney for a man suing Michael Jackson for $3.8 million questioned the pop star’s former business manager Friday about specific expenses his client incurred while working for the singer.

In his second day of testimony in a Santa Monica courtroom, Allan Whitman agreed with attorney Howard King’s reckoning that Jackson at some point owed $664,000 to plaintiff F. Marc Schaffel for his share of proceeds from TV broadcasts and video sales of two productions about Jackson.

Those productions were intended to rehabilitate Jackson’s image after the airing of a damaging documentary in which he said he shared his bed in a nonsexual way with children.

Among other expenses, Whitman also agreed that Schaffel at one point incurred $8,477 in travel expenses when he delivered $300,000 to South America on Jackson’s behalf.

King displayed an e-mail suggesting that approval for reimbursement of the travel expenses was to be sought from Mark Geragos, one of the lawyers who initially handled Jackson’s defense in the child molestation case that ended with his acquittal last year.

Whitman also said under questioning that he was aware of payments made to Schaffel’s firm, Neverland Valley Enterprises, after Jackson and Schaffel had stopped doing business.

Schaffel’s suit claims Jackson owes him money for loans, royalties, expenses and work. Jackson’s defense attorney has told the jury that Schaffel owes money to the singer.

Testimony began Thursday. The trial is expected to last about 10 days. Jackson is not expected to appear, but the jury has seen part of his videotaped depositions given in London.