The issue of postponing Jackson"s trial, as it happened, would be a moot one. The judge denied Bert Fields" pet.i.tion, setting a trial date for 21 March.
Then, in a few weeks, a Santa Barbara Grand Jury did did begin hearing witnesses, so Bert Fields hadn"t been completely wrong. Furious with Howard Weitzman for making him look foolish, Bert resigned from the case, later calling the change of events "an outrage. It was a nightmare and I wanted to get the h.e.l.l out of it as soon as possible." begin hearing witnesses, so Bert Fields hadn"t been completely wrong. Furious with Howard Weitzman for making him look foolish, Bert resigned from the case, later calling the change of events "an outrage. It was a nightmare and I wanted to get the h.e.l.l out of it as soon as possible."
At the same time, Anthony Pellicano, who had tired of the flak he had received for his aggressive tactics, resigned.
When Michael heard about all of the upheaval on his team, he telephoned Elizabeth Taylor to tell her that he was "surrounded by people who don"t know what the h.e.l.l they"re doing." He had lost all hope, he said, according to what Elizabeth later recalled to one of Jackson"s attorneys. "He"s threatening to kill himself," she said, dramatically. "And if he does, his blood will be on all of our hands."
"Well, we"re doing all we can do," said one of Michael"s advisers. "What else can we do?"
"We can pray," answered Elizabeth Taylor. "At this point, I think that"s about it."
It was soon suggested that Michael Jackson wasn"t being treated like the other patients at Charter when, after just a few days, he was granted permission to move his rehabilitation to the bucolic home of Elton John"s manager, John Reid. Shortly thereafter, he was seen at Manor Farm, the estate of seventy-year-old British banking mogul Jack Dellal, a friend of Beechy Colclough. Hopefully, he was still getting his fifty thousand dollars a week"s worth of mental health a.s.sistance. To a lot of people, including Elizabeth Taylor who has had hardcore rehabilitation in her lifetime it appeared that Michael was having some kind of "quick fix". Surely, it would take more than a few days, even a few months, for Michael to deal with so many years of dysfunction. All his friends could do was hope that he was on his way to being able to at least partially understand himself and his choices.
However, the fact that Michael was still doing business during this time was disconcerting. In fact, a big deal was struck while he was supposed to be in rehabilitation. He consulted with John Branca on the biggest music publishing agreement in history: one hundred and fifty million dollars with EMI to administer his ATV catalogue. John faxed the agreement to him at John Reid"s. Upon signing it, seventy million dollars was deposited into Michael"s bank account. "The deal was already negotiated," John later explained. "A couple of phone calls to Michael for some fine-tuning. It wasn"t much of a distraction, believe me, or I wouldn"t have even called him. He was okay with it. It was good for him to know that things were going forward, that his life was far from over."
Indeed, despite the turmoil in his life, Michael was still making money, and a great deal of it. Dangerous Dangerous had thus far sold twenty million copies worldwide. In the UK, the record had debuted at the number one position. Propelled by a hit single, "Black and White", and an accompanying controversial video (where Michael takes out his anger on an automobile, seems to pleasure himself with his own gyrating dancing, and then transforms into a panther), it was the fastest-selling number one alb.u.m of all time in the UK, and remained on the charts for ninety-six weeks, a performance only exceeded in America. "His past royalties were huge, especially for had thus far sold twenty million copies worldwide. In the UK, the record had debuted at the number one position. Propelled by a hit single, "Black and White", and an accompanying controversial video (where Michael takes out his anger on an automobile, seems to pleasure himself with his own gyrating dancing, and then transforms into a panther), it was the fastest-selling number one alb.u.m of all time in the UK, and remained on the charts for ninety-six weeks, a performance only exceeded in America. "His past royalties were huge, especially for Thriller Thriller, and his residuals from The Beatles" catalogue, his stocks and other investments," noted one advisor. "The kid had plenty of money, millions." One point was clear, however: he was determined not to give any of his money to Evan Chandler, despite whatever strategy his legal team had been considering with Johnnie Cochran, and despite his own determination that the matter be settled. An a.s.sociate who was with him at Dellal"s home recalled having asked him about a possible settlement the morning after the ATV deal was final. "I said, "Mike, you can give up twenty million dollars of the new ATV money,"" he remembered. ""It"s found money, anyway. For twenty million dollars, the whole Chandler thing can go away."
""No way," he told me. "I want it settled, yeah, but with apologies all around, some kind of press release, whatever. I don"t care. All I know is I"m not giving anyone a single dollar. I"m not p.i.s.sing away my money on this lie. Forget it."
"His eyes were blazing. He insisted that he didn"t do anything wrong, and he wasn"t going to pay money to settle it. "I never touched that kid," he told me, "and that"s the end of it. Believe what you want. See if I care."
"I said, "Mike, I believe you, of course." He looked at me angrily and said, "Yeah, right. Sure you do.""
Michael Stands Naked.
On 10 December 1993, Michael Jackson returned to the United States after having been discharged from Charter clinic. Of course, he didn"t simply hop on a commercial airline to cross the ocean. Rather, he flew back to the States in a private 727 owned by the Sultan of Brunei, said to be the wealthiest man in the world and an admirer of Michael"s.
When Michael disembarked in Santa Barbara, he looked healthier than he had in recent months while wearing a red hat and matching silk shirt, black slacks and... surgical mask. He also had two youngsters with him, Eddie and Frank Cascio, from New Jersey, who had been travelling with him on his tour. Eddie was about ten; Frank fourteen.
Michael had befriended the Cascios about ten years earlier; their father, Dominic was the manager of New York"s Helmsley Palace Hotel. Michael asked to meet the boys after seeing a picture of them on the wall of Dominic"s office; they were just babies at the time.
Dominic accompanied his children on their 1993 travels with Michael; Michael was not alone with them. However, such chaperoning was not the impression given the media since Dominic was nowhere in sight when Michael made well-publicized appearances with the boys. They had even gone to Elizabeth Taylor"s Swiss chalet in Gstaad (in September) and been photographed all over the small village, looking for toy stores, all three wearing large sungla.s.ses, Michael in a big hat with surgical mask.
Eddie and Frank are in their twenties today, and are still good friends of Michael"s. In court papers connected to one of the many suits filed against Michael in recent years, one by a business manager, Myung Ho Lee, states that Michael once loaned Dominic Cascio $600,000 to start a restaurant in New Jersey. However, the restaurant was never opened. Today, Frank Cascio goes by the name Frank Tyson, and is one of Michael"s most trusted a.s.sistants.
Some in his camp had serious reservations about Michael continuing to be seen in the company of children at such a critical time in his life. Was he still so out of touch he didn"t realize how inappropriate, not to mention dangerous, such behaviour was? Or, as one adviser put it, "I guess the therapy thing didn"t take, did it?"
Michael could not be swayed from continuing his friendships with children publicly. In fact, after being in therapy at Charter, Michael was more emboldened to live his life on his own terms, rather than consider any restrictions.
"Look, I almost died," he told one a.s.sociate. "Do you know how close I was? Now that I am past it, no way am I not going to do what I want to do, when I want to do it and how. It"s plain and simple," Michael concluded, "and anyone who doesn"t like it can just go to h.e.l.l."
Michael Jackson has been hailed as a genius of a businessman. No matter how eccentric he seemed, it was said, he was actually a shrewd marketing genius and the joke was on us. Maybe on some level that was true. However, one can"t help but wonder if such a "genius" would not know when to just... stop. Many of Michael"s actions, especially in the last ten years, have caused observers to question if the perception of ingenuity in the 1980s was actually just good timing, and his willingness to take full advantage of it. Is it possible that Michael just made a couple of amazing alb.u.ms, and then inherited the world because of his showmanship and ability to surround himself with others others who were true marketing geniuses, like John Branca? who were true marketing geniuses, like John Branca?
Others have argued that Michael"s insistence that he be seen in the company of young boys demonstrates a consciousness of innocence on his part. If he had been guilty of the crime for which he had been accused, would he continue to flaunt his relationships with youngsters?
The bottom line is that Michael has done whatever he has wanted to do for most of his life, living in a world of privilege and ent.i.tlement simply because he is who he is. He has never understood the notion of "appropriate behaviour" because, in truth, he"s never had any reason to live appropriately. It"s a strange commentary on celebrity and fame that the public"s perception of Michael as being bizarre has had its advantages. After all, how can he be judged by normal, common-sense standards when he"s "Wacko-Jacko"?
However, in December of 1993 Michael was about to experience, if just for one day, what it might be like in the real world, where people often have to do things they may not necessarily want to do.
Upon Michael"s return to the United States, he was immediately served with a warrant for the long-threatened strip search by the police. According to the order, officers expected to examine, photograph and videotape Michael"s entire body, "including his p.e.n.i.s, a.n.u.s, hips, b.u.t.tocks and any other part of his body. Michael Jackson should be notified," according to the order, "that he has no right to refuse the examination and photographs. Any refusal to cooperate with this order will be admissible in a court and an indication of his guilt." Also, it was explained to his attorneys that if he didn"t cooperate, the police would probably just arrest him on "probable cause" and take him away in handcuffs, in front of photographers. This scenario was more than anyone in his camp could even fathom.
Apparently, Jordie had claimed that Michael had distinguishing marks on his genitals. He even drew a diagram of Michael"s p.e.n.i.s on a napkin for police, and wrote on it: "Michael is circ.u.mcised. He has short pubic hair. His t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es are marked with pink and brown marks. Like a cow, not white but pink colour. He has brown patches on a.s.s, on his left glut."
The police were now determined to learn if Jordie"s description was accurate. If so, then he obviously had seen Michael Jackson unclothed.
The photo session, set for 20 December, promised to be as torturous an experience as Michael ever had in his life. Present from Santa Barbara would be its District Attorney, Thomas Sneddon, as well as a detective, photographer and a doctor. From Los Angeles, were Michael"s attorneys, Johnnie Cochran and Howard Weitzman, and Dr David Forecast, one of Michael"s physicians from the United Kingdom, as well as another detective and another photographer (employed by Michael), all of whom had arrived by helicopter.
After everyone arrived at Neverland, it took Johnnie Cochran and Howard Weitzman an hour to get Michael to leave his bedroom and go into the parlour, where the photos were to be taken. Finally, Michael came into the room, wearing a brown robe. It was agreed that his attorneys and Sneddon would leave the room and not be present for the photos. Bodyguard Bill Bray was allowed to remain, as would the two detectives and two photographers and two doctors.
As everyone was getting settled, Michael took a look at one of the detectives and, for no reason anyone could think of (except that he may have mistaken him for someone he knew), began shouting at him. "You! Get out! I don"t want you here for this. Get out!" Michael then tried to storm from the room. However, one of the doctors grabbed him. "Hold on, Michael," he said, "hold on." Johnnie and Howard, upon hearing the ruckus, came back into the room. "Get these sons of b.i.t.c.hes out of here," Michael screamed at them, now referring to everyone in the room. He was agitated beyond all measure and actually seemed high, though everyone present hoped that was not the case.
The District Attorney"s photographer, Gary Spiegel, began taking photographs of Michael while he was still seated on the couch. Michael blocked his face with his hands, as if thwarting a paparazzo.
Finally, an anguished Michael was told to stand on a platform in the middle of the room as if about to have his pants hemmed by a tailor. He was still wearing a bathrobe. "Please don"t make me do this," he said, his doe-like eyes watery. "This is terrible. Don"t make me."
"Sir, we have no choice," said one of the detectives.
Then, while standing on that platform and staring at a picture of Elizabeth Taylor on the wall, Michael took off the bathrobe. Under it, he wore a bathing suit.
"You"ll have to take it off, sir," said the detective.
Still staring at the photograph of Elizabeth, Michael slipped the bathing suit off... under which he had on boxers.
"Sir, please."
Crying softly now, Michael slipped off the boxers and stood, naked, stripped not only of his clothing but of the one illusion he"d always had: that of his invincibility. All eyes went right to his p.e.n.i.s, which did not appear to be circ.u.mcised.
"Is the subject uncirc.u.mcised?" asked the doctor. Everyone stepped in for a closer look.
"Yes, he is..."
"No, he"s not..."
"Yes."
"No"
"Oh my G.o.d," Michael whimpered. He looked dizzy, as if about to faint.
"You don"t know?" asked one of the detectives of Michael"s physician.
Michael"s medic became indignant. "Sir, I have never seen his p.e.n.i.s before now."
"Well, the subject is clearly not not circ.u.mcised," decided the other doctor, finally. He made a note of his finding. circ.u.mcised," decided the other doctor, finally. He made a note of his finding.
As everyone circled him slowly, they began making other feverish notations about Michael"s body.
Yes, he did have patchy-coloured skin on his b.u.t.tocks, as Jordie described.
Yes, he had short pubic hair.
Yes, his t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es were marked, pink and brown.
However, no matter how many different ways they looked at it, all seemed to agree that his p.e.n.i.s was uncirc.u.mcised. But, did that matter? In fact, an uncirc.u.mcised p.e.n.i.s can look circ.u.mcised when aroused. If Michael had been s.e.xually excited when seen by Jordie, would anyone, let alone a thirteen-year-old know if he was circ.u.mcised or not? But there was now doubt about the ident.i.ty of the person in question.
"I then took several photographs of Jackson"s p.e.n.i.s," said Gary Spiegel. "First the right side, then the left. When I was photographing the left side, the D.A."s doctor told Michael Jackson to lift up his p.e.n.i.s. He didn"t want to, so there was a lot of discussion about that. Finally he did it. Then, he angrily jumped off the platform. "That"s it," Jackson said. "That"s enough." He put on his robe and ran out of the room."
The detectives looked at each other, one of them moved towards the room in which Michael"s attorneys had been waiting. Then, as the detective headed back into the living room, Michael"s lawyers stomped down the hall to get their client back before the waiting cameras. The cops were uncomfortable as they listened to what most would have guessed to be a rebellious teenager arguing loudly with strict, disappointed parents. Then, after fifteen minutes of cries, shrieks and pleas silence. A moment later, the sound of one loud plaintive wail resonated through the house. Michael Jackson had been broken. He pounded his bare feet hard against the wood floor, moving towards the room he had worked so hard to make perfect for waiting guests.
"When this whole thing is done, I want pictures of you you," Michael said, pointing angrily at one of the photographers, "and you, too," he said, jabbing his finger at the other one.
Again, Michael stood naked. More pictures. Then, videotape.
"Please," Michael said, his tone now pleading. "Can we stop now?"
One of the doctors pulled out a ruler.
"That"s it," said Michael"s physician. "Mike, get dressed. This is a joke. I can"t believe it myself."
Michael quickly put on his robe. "Don"t you ever, ever, ever ever let that happen again," he said, unleashing his anger on poor Bill Bray, who just sat in the corner the whole time looking mortified. let that happen again," he said, unleashing his anger on poor Bill Bray, who just sat in the corner the whole time looking mortified.
"But I didn"t do nothin", Mike," Bill said. "Why you hollerin" at me?"
Ignoring Bill"s question, Michael stepped off the platform and ran from the living room. "How could this happen to me?" he screamed on his way out. He was shaking. Observers said it looked as if he was about to have a melt-down. "How could this happen to me?" he kept repeating.
LaToya in Madrid.
It was in the winter of 1993 that perhaps the most damaging blow of all to Michael Jackson"s image was struck, and it came from a family member: his own sister, LaToya. Though she had not seen or talked to him in a number of years, LaToya claimed to have exclusive information about Michael. As it happened, like many of Michael"s household employees who had sold stories to the tabloid press, LaToya and her husband, Jack, had their own sliding scale of scandal: for a fee of $50,000 she would come forth with certain secrets about familial abuse that she had not yet revealed in her many interviews about the subject. However, for twice that, she would open up twice as much and for a half-million she would throw caution to the wind and just come out and admit that Michael was a paedophile, and that she had proof to support her allegation.
The bidding war began with the British News of the World News of the World tabloid, who ponied up a substantial amount of money, only to be topped by the American tabloid, who ponied up a substantial amount of money, only to be topped by the American National Enquirer National Enquirer and and Star Star. However, during the course of the week, as editors pushed for details of LaToya"s revelations, negotiations collapsed. It became clear that she didn"t have much to offer, after all. Left without his planned windfall, Jack then arranged for LaToya to hold a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, where she was on tour.
"Michael is my brother and I love him very much," she said, reading from a prepared statement, "but I cannot and will not be a silent collaborator in his crimes against young children. If I remain silent, then that means I feel the guilt and humiliation that these children are feeling, and I think it is very wrong. Forget about the superstar, forget about the icon. If he was any other thirty-five-year-old man who was sleeping with little boys, you wouldn"t like this guy."
She also said that she had seen cancelled cheques made out to several boys for large sums of money, shown to her she said by her mother, Katherine, suggesting that Michael had bought their silence. She said that she sympathized with the children, "because I am a victim myself. When parents abuse their children, the children go on to be abusers themselves," she said. "Do you know how many children are going to psychiatrists because of Michael? So many, many children."
The Jackson family, understandably upset by LaToya"s position, then hosted a press conference at their Encino estate. Distraught, Katherine said, "LaToya"s lying. I"ll tell her to her face she"s lying. I can"t believe I have a daughter out there saying these things to sell her brother down the river. She"s been brainwashed by her money-grabbing mongrel of a husband."
For weeks to come, LaToya"s charges made big news, while she finally started making big money. That she is Michael"s sister gave her point of view special credibility; her stories did more damage to Michael than anything that had ever been charged by any housekeeper in his employ. From country to country, LaToya and Jack ventured forth, pitting television producers and newspaper editors against one another in bidding wars for her anecdotes about Michael. Meanwhile, family members continued to vilify LaToya. "But Michael supports the entire Jackson family, financially," LaToya said. "They have to support him."
In December 1993 I was asked by the producers of a Spanish television show in Madrid called La Maquina De Mentira La Maquina De Mentira ( (The Lying Machine), to appear with LaToya and discuss with her the allegations she had made against Michael. As it was explained to me, LaToya would be hooked up to a lie detector machine. Then, I was to ask her questions about why she believed Michael was a paedophile. The television audience would be able to judge, by virtue of how LaToya fared on the test, the veracity of her observations.
Coincidentally, 22 December, the day we were in the studio and waiting to go on the air, was the same day Michael gave a four-minute speech from Neverland, first carried live by CNN and then rebroadcast all over the world.
"I ask all of you to wait and hear the truth before you condemn me," he said, holding back tears. "Don"t treat me like a criminal, because I am innocent."
Dressed in a red shirt with red lipstick, false eyelashes and long strands of hair framing his heavily made-up face, Michael had harsh words for the media which, he charged, "has dissected and manipulated these allegations to reach their own conclusions." He grew more emotional when describing the examination and subsequent photo session of his body: "I have been forced to submit to a dehumanizing and humiliating examination by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff"s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department earlier this week. They served a search warrant on me which allowed them to view and photograph my body, including my p.e.n.i.s, my b.u.t.tocks, my lower torso, thighs and any other areas they wanted. They were supposedly looking for any discoloration, spotting blotches or other evidence of a skin colour disorder called Vitiligo, which I have previously spoken about.
"It was the most humiliating ordeal of my life, one that no person should ever have to suffer. And even after experiencing the indignity of this search, the parties involved were still not satisfied and wanted to take even more pictures. It was a nightmare, a horrifying nightmare. But if this is what I have to endure to prove my innocence, my complete innocence, so be it."
"Don"t treat me like a criminal," Michael insisted, "because I am innocent."
As LaToya stared at the TV screen, tears sprung from her large, expressive eyes. She seemed lost in thought until Jack Gordon burst into the room and laid waste to her reverie. "The show is off," he said. "I"m not allowing LaToya to be hooked up to any d.a.m.n lie detector."
"Why?" LaToya wanted to know.
"We agreed on fifty thousand dollars," Jack explained. "But with Michael crying his eyes out on TV, I"m doubling her fee to a hundred thousand. I just told the producers, and they said to go to h.e.l.l. So, we"re out of here. The h.e.l.l with them them."
Jack grabbed LaToya by the arm.
"I"m sorry you came all the way to Spain for nothing," she told me, looking victimized. "What a waste of time for you. You must think I"m a terrible person, now. But, really, I"m not." She was then hustled from the room by her husband. "Tell Michael I"m sorry," she said, while being whisked away.
Years later, LaToya would insist that the allegations she"d made against Michael were all Jack"s fabrications, which she was made to repeat against her will. Though it would take a few years, by 2003 she and Michael had cleared the air between them and were, again, close. LaToya also apologized to the rest of her family members; they then all accepted her back into the fold.
Michael Pays Up.
By 1 January 1994, nearly two million dollars had been spent by prosecutors and police departments in California jurisdictions on the investigation of Michael Jackson. Two Grand Juries had questioned more than two hundred witnesses, including thirty children who had been friends of Michael"s over the years. Not one witness could be found who could corroborate Jordie Chandler"s story, and without other witnesses the authorities" case against Michael was weak. Perhaps Michael had the undying loyalty of the youngsters with whom he"d had s.e.x? Or, maybe all of those who had investigated the singer were inept? Or was it possible that he was innocent?
11 January marked Jordie"s fourteenth birthday, but he had no party. He wasn"t in the mood to celebrate, he said. When he blew out the candles on his cake, Evan asked him to make a wish. "I wish this nightmare would end," he said. As a gift, Evan gave him a bottle of mace, for his protection.
On that same day, more damage was done to Michael"s image when transcripts of depositions in the Jackson Chandler civil suit were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court as part of a motion brought by attorney Larry Feldman. Arguing that he should be allowed access to Michael"s financial records since, as he put it, "there is substantial probability" that his client would prevail in the suit, Feldman filed the transcripts as a demonstration of the evidence against Jackson. Also included was a new declaration from Jordie, who had repeated the original allegations he had made about Michael to police and social workers.
Transcripts filed by Larry Feldman included sworn depositions from Michael Jackson"s former chauffeur, former maids and secretaries. Truth or fiction, it didn"t matter; all of it was now a part of the public record. Composed mostly of hearsay, speculation and innuendo, and much of it from people who"d already been paid handsomely by tabloid television programmes and newspapers to "reveal all" about their boss, it was difficult to imagine that such statements would have been given much credence by a jury.
No doubt, Jordie Chandler"s detailed testimony would have been the most damaging to Michael. One wondered, though, how a jury would have reacted to the fact that the original allegation, that Michael had touched his p.e.n.i.s, was given while under a mind-altering drug? And what of the question of Michael"s being circ.u.mcised or not? In the end, it would be Michael"s word against Jordie"s, because there were no witnesses to any episodes of molestation (but, then again, there are rarely witnesses to such events).
Due to his celebrity status, it was possible that Michael could prevail at the civil trial. A mountain of circ.u.mstantial evidence (not to mention the impact that might be made on a jury by his wrong-minded determination to continually flaunt young boys in public) was probably not enough to secure a verdict against him. However, the question then was: was it worth it for him to find out? His attorneys didn"t think so, feeling that more harm than good would occur by having so many disclosures made public. Plus, what if he really was was guilty? What would such a trial do to the already-victimized Jordie Chandler? Though Jordie certainly wasn"t the primary concern of Michael"s attorneys, they empathized with him and felt a sense of responsibility to him simply because of his youth. They probably didn"t care much about his father, though, not after all that had occurred. guilty? What would such a trial do to the already-victimized Jordie Chandler? Though Jordie certainly wasn"t the primary concern of Michael"s attorneys, they empathized with him and felt a sense of responsibility to him simply because of his youth. They probably didn"t care much about his father, though, not after all that had occurred.
When Larry Feldman began nosing into Michael"s finances, he had crossed a line. "A lot of terrible business had gone down for Michael, but once Feldman started demanding information about his bank accounts, we knew the game was over," said one of Michael"s advisers. "You can take pictures of Michael"s d.i.c.k, and he"s not gonna like it. But once you start trying to figure out how much money he has, that"s where he stops playing around."
Unbeknownst to even Michael"s attorneys, Lisa Marie Presley had also tried to influence his decision to settle. A seasoned survivor of many publicity wars, she had long thought that Michael should end the matter with a cash pay-out. She was finally able to convince him that, as she later put it, "some things, like a good night"s sleep, are more important than public opinion."
He wanted to get on with his life, Michael said, so that he could finally marry Lisa. Not much movement had occurred in their relationship since his odd proposal to her on the telephone, and he was afraid that she was becoming impatient with him. "The only thing I got out of therapy is that it"s my responsibility to have a good life," he said, "and maybe I can have that with Lisa. I don"t want to lose her, now."
Indeed, Michael Jackson was finally leaning toward paying Evan Chandler the money Jordie"s father had originally sought. "They"ve worn me down, I admit it," he told one of his attorneys. He wondered what more "they can do to humiliate me, to ruin me? I don"t know what else to do but pay the guy."
The attorney suggested that, perhaps, they should have done as much at the beginning of the debacle.