Pubdate: Fri, 05 Dec 2003
Source: Ledger-Enquirer (GA)
Copyright: 2003 Ledger-Enquirer
Contact:  http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/enquirer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/237
Author: Jill Barton

LIMBAUGH LAWYER BLAMES POLITICS IN PROBE

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP)-- Rush Limbaugh's attorney accused a prosecutor 
Friday of having political motives for investigating whether the 
conservative radio commentator bought painkillers illegally.

In search warrants released Thursday, investigators alleged that Limbaugh 
engaged in illegal drug use and went "doctor shopping" for prescription 
painkillers.

Investigators said they were looking for medical, insurance and appointment 
records for Limbaugh as well as cash receipts and prescription forms during 
raids of two doctor's offices Nov. 25. The warrants say Limbaugh 
"alternated physicians to obtain overlapping prescriptions" and failed to 
tell each doctor that he was seeing others."

Limbaugh denied any wrongdoing to listeners on his show Thursday. Reading 
from a statement prepared by his attorney, Roy Black, Limbaugh said medical 
records will clear him.

"What these records show is that Mr. Limbaugh suffered extreme pain and had 
legitimate reasons for taking pain medication," Limbaugh read. 
"Unfortunately, because of Mr. Limbaugh's prominence and well-known 
political opinions, he is being subjected to an invasion of privacy no 
citizen of this republic should endure."

Black said Friday that Limbaugh didn't become a target of State Attorney 
Barry Krischer's painkiller probe until the National Enquirer quoted 
Limbaugh's maid in October saying she had unlawfully sold Limbaugh such 
medications.

"Suddenly an elected public official could not ignore the name Rush 
Limbaugh," Black said on NBC's "Today" show. Black is also a paid NBC 
commentator. "They are looking to publicly embarrass him and affect his 
radio program. ... Why is Rush Limbaugh the only person treated like this 
in America?"

Krischer's spokesman Mike Edmondson said Friday that the prosecutor stands 
by an earlier statement that Limbaugh's rights have been scrupulously 
protected.

Krisher said Thursday, "Whether Mr. Limbaugh is subject to prosecution for 
any crimes is still under investigation. Mr. Limbaugh is presumed innocent."

Prosecutors began investigating in December 2002 after Limbaugh's former 
maid, Wilma Cline, told them she sold Limbaugh "large quantities of 
hydrocodone, Oxycontin and other pharmaceutical drugs in Palm Beach County 
over the course of many years."

Cline provided investigators with e-mails and answering machine recordings 
to support her claims, according to the warrants, filed in Palm Beach 
County Circuit Court.

The medical offices were raided after investigators examined records from 
Palm Beach pharmacies near Limbaugh's $24 million oceanfront mansion that 
they say support the doctor-shopping allegations.

The records seized list prescriptions for more than 2,100 pills from March 
24 through Sept. 26. The medications include the powerful painkillers 
Oxycontin, Lorcet, Norco, hydrocodone and Kadian. In addition, Limbaugh 
received prescriptions for the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, the 
cholesterol-lowering drug Niacin, and Clonodine, which treats high blood 
pressure.

Two of the four search warrants were executed at the offices of Jupiter 
Outpatient Surgery Center. A third was executed at Palm Beach Ear, Nose and 
Throat Association in Palm Beach Gardens. A fourth for the same location 
has not yet been executed.

The physicians named in the warrants are Nathaniel Drourr, Antonio De La 
Cruz, Lawrence Deziel and John Murray.

Drourr and officials at both centers declined comment, citing privacy laws. 
Murray did not return a phone call seeking comment, and the other doctors 
could not be immediately reached.

Limbaugh was absent from his show for five weeks recently while spending 
time at a drug rehabilitation program because of his addiction to 
prescription painkillers.

Previously, law enforcement sources in Palm Beach County confirmed that a 
criminal investigation into a prescription drug ring involved Limbaugh.

Last month, a law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity 
said authorities also were investigating the money trail related to 
Limbaugh's drug purchases.

Limbaugh allegedly withdrew cash 30 to 40 times at amounts just under the 
$10,000 limit that requires a bank to report the transaction to the federal 
government.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom