Jackson's maid used 'broker' to sell stories

Michael Jackson's former maid has testified at his child molestation trial that she and other employees used a "media broker" to sell stories to tabloids, including one claiming inside knowledge of Jackson's sex life with his former wife, Lisa Marie Presley.

Michael Jackson's former maid has testified at his child molestation trial that she and other employees used a "media broker" to sell stories to tabloids, including one claiming inside knowledge of Jackson's sex life with his former wife, Lisa Marie Presley.

Adrian McManus, who earlier testified for the prosecution that she saw Jackson in compromising positions with boys, insisted under cross-examination that she was not out to get Jackson's money even when she and four other Neverland employees sued him for millions.

"I wanted justice," she said of the wrongful-termination lawsuit, which backfired and resulted in a large judgment against the plaintiffs. "But your idea of justice was millions of bucks?" asked Mr Jackson's attorney Thomas Mesereau. "That's not what I call justice," said the witness. "A simple 'sorry for what we did to you' would have been enough."

Jackson is on trial on charges of molesting a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland ranch. The prosecution is presenting evidence, much of it from former Jackson employees, that the crime was part of a pattern of inappropriate behaviour. Mr Mesereau has used the former employees' legal battles with Jackson and the sale of stories to tabloids to attack their credibility.

Before the trial went into recess for the weekend, prosecutors presented another former employee who testified he was delivering an order of french fries to Jackson one night and saw the singer holding Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin up to a video game console with one hand on the boy's waist and the other in the boy's shorts.

"I was shocked. I almost dropped the french fries," said Phillip LeMarque, 70. He said he sneaked off and then returned, loudly announcing himself. The defence says that Mr Culkin has repeatedly said he was never molested. A spokeswoman for the actor has said he has no plans to be part of the case.

Under defence questioning, Mr LeMarque said he and his wife, a cook, sued Jackson for unpaid overtime and received a settlement. Mr LeMarque said he quit because his wife was asked to sign a false affidavit saying she saw a former maid go through people's purses. That ex-maid testified this week that she once found Jackson showering with a boy.