# 9 THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ENTERS

Looking back, it seems absurd that Buddy Dallas and David Cannon could get the  Attorneys General of two states to attack Bob and me.

It was absurd. But it worked. 

Sonny Jones, one of AG Henry McMaster’s senior assistants, and Grace Lewis, with the Georgia AG, entered on September 24, 2007. It was another James Brown hearing before Judge Early.  Nobody objected.  After all, the amount David Cannon couldn’t account for had risen to more than $7 million --  including the $5 million “check to nobody” David  had cashed at a local bank in 1999.

Buddy and others have used three litigation strategies in the James Brown cases:

1.     Throwing under the bus   

2.      “Lying by lawyer” – Change lawyers & conceal facts from new one.

3.     Changing Courts – and back again – as needed.

At the September 24 hearing Buddy’s and Al’s new lawyer, Stan Jackson, did not realize he was a victim of  strategy #2. 

 Stan was arguing a motion Buddy and Al had filed in late August – to declare Brown’s wholly-owned company, James Brown Enterprises, Inc. (“JBE”), an asset of Brown’s Estate. Not of Brown’s 2000 Trust.

JBE gets about 2/3 of Brown’s royalties for more than 800 songs. The royalties had generated about $3 million a year for more than a decade.

As proof, Stan produced JBE’s tax returns and an affidavit of Brown’s accountant Phil Farr. Stan used these to support his claim that the tax returns – showing Brown, individually, as the owner -- were the “best evidence” that JBE was in Brown’s estate. Not the Trust.

Stan also filed a stipulation I had refused to sign.  And Bob hadn't seen. The trustees, Brown’s companion, grandson Forlando and others had stipulated JBE was not in the Trust. The stipulation said the only assets in the 2000 Trust at Brown’s death were Brown’s Beech Island home estate and a small amount of cash.  

The problem:  Nearly Everything Stan was told – and repeated -- was false. JBE was in Brown’s Trust. [Within weeks Phil would produce tax returns saying the Trust owned JBE.] 

Buddy, David and Forlando knew the representations were false. But Stan didn’t.  And Bob and I didn’t.

After Stan’s argument, Judge Early went around the room.  Although the record was clear that we had refused to sign the stipulation, I stated that as special administrators we did not have evidence to refute Buddy and Al’s representation that JBE was never put in Brown’s Trust.

It’s hard to see how this simple, true statement would embroil Bob and me in 6 years of fabricated litigation.  And be used by Attorney General McMaster to dismember the “I Feel Good” Trust.

But David, Buddy and Forlando had a plan.  And by September 2007 powerful Powell Goldstein was  representing both Forlando and the group trying to purchase Brown’s music empire.

They would show us how it was done.

Years later Buddy told me he was the one who got the Georgia AG to come in.  David Cannon got Attorney General McMaster.

Next Post:  # 10   WHAT ELIOT SPITZER TAUGHT HENRY McMASTER – AND US

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