new this hour, top secret documents suggest michael jackson popped more than ten xanax pills a night. security guards say jackson took prescription drugs in his employees' names, even traveled to other states to find doctors to sedate him. stunning revelations for two politicians swept up in sex scandals. new e-mails suggest governor mark sanford wanted some extra time with his argentina mistress on a state-funded trip. and a new report senator john ensign's family paid off his other woman nearly $100,000, even sent a check to her husband and kids. you're an important part of the show. give us a call.

877-tell-hln. e-mail cnn.com/primenews. or text us. start your message with the word "prime." this is your chance to be heard. >> controversy. opinion. your point of view. this is "prime news." >> i'm vinny poll tan in for mike galanos, this is "prime news." secret files on michael jackson. the documents are dated back to 2004. california detectives investigating jackson stumbled on what could be a dark, disturbing obsession with prescription drugs. former security guards told them the king of pop would take huge doses of xanax, more than ten pills a night. even said jackson traveled out of state just to get more prescriptions. right now we're waiting on a coroner's report whether jackson's death will be ruled a homicide. could there be criminal charges down the road? joining me now to talk about all of this, natisha lance, a producer for "nancy grace," and amelia kay, a defense attorney

and former prosecutor. all right, natisha, let's start with you. 2004, all this stuff that's coming out. what are we learning now about michael jackson and prescription drugs? >> well, just like you mentioned, vinny, we're hearing michael jackson took ten xanax pills a night. this is coming from one security guard. when he found out about this information, he went to another staff history said, well, michael jackson's actually doing a lot better because he used to be taking 30 to 40 pills per night to get to sleep. >> 30 to 40 a night? >> 30 to 40 pills per night to get to sleep, to get some rest. improving. they're also saying michael doctors, in order to get his hands on some of these medications, these prescription medications. this one security guard also talked about an incident where michael jackson was in his hotel. he fell on his face. he confronted michael jackson saying that he needed to get help. michael jackson denied having a problem. and the security guard ended up

leaving because he was being asked to get prescriptions for michael jackson under his name, and he wasn't willing to do it. >> unbelievable. unbelievable. and if this pattern continued, anita kay, and michael jackson is the one who's spearheading all of this, going around, traveling to other states, finding other doctors, getting other people to use their names for the prescriptions, perhaps that's good news if you're one of michael jackson's doctors. in the criminal investigation. because it seems like michael jackson is the one who's in charge of all of this. >> well, maybe not, vinny. because here's the problem. the security guards or anyone that's working for michael jackson going into a doctor and getting prescriptions for michael jackson, what they're doing is a crime. you can't go get a prescription for someone else saying, i need this, and now i'm going to give it to this person. and the doctors, depending on what unfolds, the doctors may have known, oh, mr. security guard is coming in but,

wink-wink, i know this is really for michael jackson but i can't keep writing all these prescriptions for him. then the doctors are going to be in trouble. there is going to be some responsibility. so we're going to need to see more -- what uncovers and what unfolds regarding that. >> from what you're saying, the key fact becomes what did the doctor know? did the doctor know this was wink-wink for michael jackson, or maybe he thought he was treating someone else who was feigning some sort of problem in order to get more xanax pills or whatever medications they're looking for? >> absolutely. and now here's the thing. let's say we just have one doctor who keeps seeing all these people who work for michael jackson. and prescribes a bunch of michael jackson employees xanax. well, now, that is really suspicious. you're telling me that all these employees need xanax? that's going to be highly unusual. if they're different doctors all over the country maybe just prescribing it once, that could be a different situation. and also what dosage and how many. i mean, xanax is very powerful. it's not something that doctors routinely are just doling out

like they do penicillin. so if they're prescribing huge amounts, that's something the doctors -- >> that's a problem also. >> exactly. >> absolutely. natisha, now we now all this information dates back to 2004. the reason it's significant, it sort of sets a pattern for the way michael jackson was leading his life in the final years. but at this point, do we know how many doctors are being investigated or questioned by los angeles authorities, the dea, and everyone else who's looking at this case, the death of michael jackson? >> we can't say for certain how been five that conrad murray has been arnold kline, who did turn over all of his medical records on michael jackson. and if he hasn't already been questioned, i'm sure that he will be questioned by authorities sometime soon. >> you know, anita, if i look at

this case, if we look at who's getting what here, i mean, from the doctors' perspective -- what we're all wondering, is someone else responsible for the death of michael jackson? and is this case going to end up being a homicide investigation? so, from that perspective, from the doctors, does it really go to the records that the doctors have? or somehow getting a smoking gun where a doctor knows he's doing something he's not supposed to be doing? >> well, vinny, it's going to start with the records. that's going to reveal a lot as to how much medication these doctors are prescribing and to whom and then tracing where that medication goes. and then that's how the police can link up that this doctor knew it was going to michael jackson, or didn't know it was going to michael jackson. the other thing when is we look at all these different doctors, let's look at who these doctors are. you know, you have a dermatologist. is it typical, routine that dermatologists are prescribing xanax? in the same way maybe your primary care physician who would, who treats a lot of people for anxiety, which is

what xanax is used for, verses a dermatologist. that's something to consider. the medical board may get involved on their own and uncover thing is because certain doctors shouldn't be prescribing medications at such a large amount. they could get in trouble, the doctors, with the medical board, not in a criminal arena. >> i'm looking at it from the eyes of a prosecutor. i used to be a prosecutor years ago. seems like it's going to be complicated, difficult to figure out what these doctors really knew. more on jackson. give us a call. 877-tell-hln.

welcome back to "prime news." there has been a lot of talk that michael jackson is getting trashed by the media.

that includes members of his family, his friends. what do you think? is the king of pop getting a bad rap? call in. 1-877-tell-hln. back now taking your phone calls on michael jackson. could his death be ruled an accidental overdose or a homicide? and a new custody hearing on the kids. what's next for his children? again, give us a call. 1-877-tell-hln. all right. natisha lance, let's talk a little bit about 2004, all these drugs are found. but it all had to do with the investigation into the molestation allegations, right? >> correct. there was a huge raid that went on at neverland ranch, and that is where they obtained all this information. they also apparently obtained numerous prescription drugs, many of which did not have any labels on them. and after the trial ended michael jackson was allowed to get the items back that were seized. however, he was not allowed to take back any of the contraband including these prescription drugs, any syringes or any of the ivs that allegedly had a

milky white substance in them. >> dr. william morrone joins us now, pharmacologist and medical examiner. thanks so much for joining us, doctor. we're all waiting for the toxicology to come back, right? we're waiting for the toxicology. and the chief of police out in l.a., chief bratton said today while we're waiting for the medical examiner to find out was this an accidental overdose, is this a homicide, what will be in that toxicology that would make someone say hey, this is homicide? >> if drugs are used inappropriately, if drugs are used off label, then they're used outside of what we call scope of practice or good practice. and anybody administering something that they should have no business giving could be at risk for manslaughter or homicide. and here's the key. the laws have changed in this country, and if you supply drugs to somebody and they die you are at risk.

and it's the same for every citizen. >> so in this case let's take, for instance, everyone's talking about the diprivan. if, in fact, they find diprivan in the system. he wasn't hospitalized. he was at home. would that be an off-label, or a misuse of that drug? >> 100% right. that is selected just for use in a hospital. and if you're using it to sleep and if you're giving it to sleep, you're using it off label. that is not an fda indication. it's not approved for people with insomnia. it's approved to go into surgery. so whoever would be giving it, they also have to complete certain things like charts, medical records. there have to be prescription logs. and mixing that with inappropriate narcotics, opium, xanax, oxycontin, all those things mixed together, that would be poor practice and it

would be something the medical boards would take away somebody's license for at the very least. >> at the very least. and perhaps at that point it becomes a homicide investigation. let's go to a phone caller. we've got rachel in new hampshire. good evening, rachel. >> caller: good evening. >> you're on the air, rachel. >> caller: yes. i'm calling because i'm going back to the 2004 incident when they went in and they raid his home. and the police department seized all that contraband and all those drugs. and nobody did nothing, and the police department could have done two things. they could have probed an investigation into the illegal use of drugs that doctors had been giving to patients, and this man could probably be alive today. how come they didn't -- once the molestation case was over, how come they didn't go forward and get him for illegal use of prescription drugs and go after the doctors then? why now? >> rachel, that's a great question. you, you have a -- the whole case was a sexual molestation investigation, and that was the focus of the investigation. why they didn't do something, i

guess only prosecutors would know the answer to that question. but great point, great call. rachel. thanks so much to our guests for joining us tonight. we appreciate your time. wow. coming up, we're going to talk about these shocking sex scandals. this is "cnn heroes." >> i feel not that great. not easy to carry around all this weight. i wanted to get healthy and fit. >> where did we go wrong as a country where p.e. in school is no longer a priority? our children's health is no longer a priority. something had to be done, and i just decided to be the one to do it. my name is pamela green-jackson, and my organization is a physical fitness and nutrition education program for elementary and middle school youth in my community. my brother bernard died at age 43 at a weight of 427 pounds. he didn't have to die.

and so i promised myself that i would do whatever i could to make sure that another child didn't suffer like he did. >> another ten seconds. >> what we've done is converted vacant classrooms and turned them into health clubs. this is a free program. we have personal trainers. dieticians that work with them. we allow each individual child to set their own goals. >> pamela is my hero because she always is helping me to do things that i never thought i can do. >> we instill these habits in them early, then they will grow up and become healthier adults. that's really what this is all b. saving the lives of children.

we take a look at how the economy is affecting you. this week, elena cho looks at a small town booming in a bad economy. >> reporter: in the heart of the south, the face of tiny west point, georgia, is literally changing. the old pizza hut is a korean b barbecue. jobs once scarce are finally returning. >> just like christmas time. like christmas. >> reporter: christmas in the middle of a recession? in west point, yes. >> we jokingly call it kiaville. >> reporter: kia, the korean car company, is about to open a sprawling manufacturing plant thanks to $400 million in tax breaks. even in the midst of a recession, cot will hire 2,500 new workers, add suppliers and new businesses, and the mayor says west point -- population 3,500 -- stands to gain 20,000 jobs over the next five years

divine intervention. >> the economic activity here is incredible. the trickle-down effect in the local economy has been staggering. >> reporter: remarkable for a city that was slowly becoming a ghost town. textile mills that once defined west point shut down in the 1990s, leaving many out of work. including 52-year-old margaret mcmannis. laid off last year, now working again at one of kia's suppliers. did you ever think you'd be making car parts? >> no, not at all. >> reporter: not in a million years? >> no. >> reporter: new construction is everywhere. at roger's barbecue, business is booming. >> they enjoy it. >> reporter: malcolm malone's car wash business is up 70%. down the street at irish bread pub, right ann williams invested her life savings in the business. it's paying off. >> i came here because i wanted to come down to this area because of kia. we have jumped in with both feet

and we have met success. >> reporter: how this is tiny rural community adapting to the new asian infusion? >> does west point feel more like a melting pot now? >> yes. you don't have to travel to atlanta anymore. >> reporter: from mill town to manufacturing mecca, a bright spot in an otherwise gray economy. alina cho, cnn, west point, georgia. >> you can see more "money and main street" with roland martin tonight at 8:00, and a new "money and main street" every thursday morning on "american morning." both on our sister network cnn. ren donte stallworth, the nfl player who hit and killed a pedestrian after a night of drinking? he was sentenced to just 30 days in jail. these are new pictures of him on his way home. almost a week early. is that justice? give us a call. 877-tell-hln.

i'm sorry. i can't hear you very well. announcer: does someone you know have trouble hearing on the phone? dad. dad, let me help you with that, okay? announcer: now, a free phone service shows captions of everything a caller says. i'd like to make an appointment to see the doctor. announcer: to learn more about captioned telephone, call 1-800-552-7724 or go to our website.

i'll see you at 3:00! announcer: captioned telephone - enjoy the phone again! call is at 877-tell-hl f. e-mail cnn.com/primenews. text your comment to hlntv, 45688. start your message with the word "prime." we'll be showing your text messages throughout the day. two politicians caught cheating on their wives. now we're just getting new shocking details about their steamy affairs. senator john ensign of nevada admits his mistress received nearly $100,000 but only as a "gift." did his family pay her off? and hundreds of e-mails just released on south carolina governor mark sanford and his other woman in argentina. state records show he cleared his schedule at least one evening on a state-funded trip.

neither of these guys is stepping down. is this a new low even for washington? give us a call. 1-877-tell-hln. joining me now to talk about all this, alex wellen, a deputy editor at cnnpolitics.com. he's also author of the novel "lovesick." also with us, tara fields, a marriage and family therapist. and andy barr, a reporter at politico. andy, i want to start with you and this $100,000. now, i have seen cases with politicians and money being exchanged. in fact, it happened in new york not so long ago. but this is a little bit different than that, right? >> this is very different than that. the money comes from ensign's parents, who paid off $96,000 to the wife, to the husband, and to the two kids in $12,000 increments. also remember there was that $25,000 severance leave when she left his campaign organization. so a lot of money going back and forth very -- multiple payments over a long period of time. this is still kind of unraveling. >> still unraveling. give us a little background.

these two -- these people knew each other, right? ensign and his wife knew his mistress and her husband. they worked for them. describe that relationship. because it's very unique. >> you're right. they worked and knew each other for years. both the mistress and the mistress's husband worked for ensign on the campaign and in his office there in nevada. so this was -- you know, lots of connections between the two. that's kind of the less seemly part of this is the wife knew the mistress knew the mistress knew knew the wife and the husband is really the one driving the story, he's going around doing interviews with "the las vegas sun" all the time, he's out there trying to get other networks to report on this. he is really driving this story. so a lot of involvement. a lot of connection. >> unbelievable. alex, how do you think that phone call went? yeah, dad, i need $100,000.

right? this is bizarre. is this only in vegas? now because we have these very vision, we're getting this kind of impression of men and how they approach marriage and why you take somebody like senator ensign, who had a platform that stands on keeping promises, strong marriages, having a lot of religion in his family and being kind of the way that held the family together, and then you see something like this and it really shakes us kind of to our core and it really changes our perception of how we feel about men in marriage. >> tara, as we look at these men and what they're doing, they're in such high-profile positions. and this stuff becomes important. because it talks about character. when people are electing an official, for some people character means a lot. >> oh, absolutely. >> why do they risk it all, tara? >> well, for many reasons. you know, when it comes to men

and men usually say, because i it's like i ask my husband why but i want to address something else that your guest said. these men are cheating with women. so they are just as culpable. these men couldn't cheat if these women were not available. and i think what really makes the story so just despicable is that with ence ensler, that the husband is going around saying, wasn't this terrible. but he is the one who's saying, i'll accept the money. not only will i accept the money, saying that's what makes it go away, makes it okay, but i will accept it in my children's name. what kind of a message is that to give the next generation of little boys? >> unbelievable. alex, and these guys aren't stepping down. sanford's not going to step down after his argentina thing. and this guy's not stepping down.

are we at a point now where the public is so used to this you just list the names, spitzer, bill clinton, he was president of the united states, i mean, we don't -- do we not care anymore, voters? >> to some extent it doesn't matter on what side of the political spectrum that this is happening. and it is a bit shocking when they don't necessarily step down given that their entire platform or their core of what they came to power and everything that was all about the way they run their lives and the way they run their administration has to deal with those very issues. but the real issue is, what is going to happen to the political careers of these people? yes, maybe they stay in office, yes, maybe they get re-elected but probably not. and how are they going to be defined moving forward? these men in particular, and it's not only men that have this problem, but men in very public, powerful positions, their careers are going to be defined by this lack of credibility and this -- these indiscretions. >> and i just want to jump in here and say what people don't understand is it's not just that

they had an affair, but these men are similar to people that have substance addictions. alcohol, drugs. because if someone's a love or a sex addict, they're not present with what they're doing. they're cheating to get their fix. they're lying. they are not really doing what they can do because their thoughts are about how do i get that next fix. so i don't think -- >> one thing, though, with sanford, it seems like he found his soulmate, although he's not with his soulmate, he's back trying to work things out with his wife. we've got much more to talk about on these sex scandals. we want to hear from you also. 1-877-tell-hln.

sex scandals and politicians, it's nothing new. but it's still very confusing because these are people, these are men who have their eyes on bigger offices and want to become either president, senator, governor, and they want all this power. they want the admiration of the public. yet they keep getting caught up in these types of scandals. still with us is -- from the -- andy barr from politico. politico. one of those great websites. andy barr, governor sanford now, has he used tax money? has he used taxpayer money to fund his affairs? where is this investigation going now? >> there was one instance they found where he used taxpayer

money to meet up with his mistress. his office says they're going to pay that back. people are still culling through these documents, though. there are other rendezvouses. there are other examples where he got together with her, whether it was in the united states here or argentina. we're still kind of culling through those records to see when he may or may not have used some taxpayer funds to meet up with her. obviously, any instance of that beyond that initial one is just bad news for him. he's obviously going to have to pay it back and also may face some charges in the state, maybe even some impeachment charges from the state senate there. >> alex, well, the whole thing is i was a prosecutor, and if someone came into court and said i robbed a bank but here, mr. prosecutor, here's the money, you can have it back now, can i go? i mean, is that what politicians think happen? you get caught, then you just pay them back? >> and i'm a lawyer as well. so i confess that up front. and i agree with you. i think that just because you're contrite, just because you reveal that you made a mistake or you're willing to pay back and make good, that doesn't necessarily fix the problem. ultimately, there may be a lot

of pressure on these individuals to step down. if they choose not to, they've done huge, huge damage to the institution of marriage, to their constituency, to the country really, because they sent a message out there saying while i believe one thing i necessarily may do another. and there is -- there's a hypocrisy associated with that. and i'll tell you this much. the interviews that i did recently, and i've done dozens of interviews with men about marriage recently. many of the men in this country want commitment, want to have that type of relationship, dream of having a partner in their life. and it's a shame that when some of the highest positions in this country do something like this, this is like the most public image of marriage. >> and also, forget just the public. what are they modeling for their sons and children? and they want to be better

fathers to their sons. and again, with both of these men, i think about the damage to their sons. sanford's sons, every single father's day they are going to have that reminder. >> absolutely. where was dad for father's day? let's take a phone call. we've got theresa in new york. theresa, you're on the air. >> caller: the problem is that marriage has become a business and the love is not -- the love is there, but they don't get into one another anymore. >> i think i know what you mean there, teresa. and tara, how about that? the fact that maybe there has to be this public face of what the marriage should be, and even though we're having problems and maybe we should be apart they stay together a little bit longer to take the picture for the campaign photo? >> well, i think that's true, and i also think that it's really important for women to set boundaries and be a good role model as well. you know, i can predict when a couple comes in to therapy and

there's been an affair within the first session which couple can make it and which can't. you know, the man who comes in and says, oh, well, you know, gee, i'm just going to try, i don't really love you. or the one who comes in and says, this is terrible, this is shameful, i will do whatever it takes to make it work, and even though this was an awful thing maybe it's a wake-up call for us to realize there were problems within the marriage. >> all right. tara, andy, and alex, we're out of time. thanks so much to all of you. have a great night. so there's been talk that michael jackson is getting trashed by the media. that includes members of his family, his friends. but what do you think? is the king of pop getting a bad rap? give us a call. 1-877-tell-hln.

the death of michael jackson has been all over the news, but some people aren't happy with

the coverage and say the media are trashing the late pop icon. "prime news" correspondent richelle carey is taking a closer look in our weekly feature, "what matters." >> all right, vinnie, more on michael jackson in just a few minutes. first, good news. when it comes to our economy, african-americans are getting help to sort through the president's economic stimulus plan. the congressional black caucus foundation has put together a resource guide that highlights the plan's impact on the black community, especially when it comes to employment, housing, and health care. the guide shows which areas are receiving money to stimulate the economy. shocking news when it comes to fighting cancer. a first of its kind study published in the "journal of the national cancer institute" says african-americans are less likely than whites to survive breast cancer, prostate, and ovarian cancer, even when they received identical treatments. researchers say the findings add to growing evidence that biological factors may play a role in the survival gap.

michael jackson. he was a lot of things. singer, dancer, philanthropist, criminal suspect. all of these things have been discussed in the days after his death. but have the media focused more on the negative than the positive? some think so. >> i have seen other musical icons die where there were serious questions about them and i've never seen it dominate the news before their funeral and dominate it to the point that people forgot their greatness. and even now a lot of those answers never came about about allegations in their life, and we still exalt their artistry. all we're asking for is fairness. >> all right. joining me now, brian monroe, cnn contributor. he also conducted the last interview with michael jackson. and lauren lake, entertainment reporter and attorney. thank you both for joining me. after that reverend sharpton

went on to say that he sees a double standard when you compare michael jackson to people like elvis, frank sinatra, and some of the negative things that happened in their lives. what do you guys think? lauren, you go first. >> you know, in a way there is a double standard. i mean, i think this time around they are doing a number on michael jackson. i feel like a lot of emphasis is being focused on things that weren't proven like the sexual abuse charges, versus things that are proven. his philanthropy, the way he's broken down racial barriers, his music business savvy and the way that he just really blew us away with his talent. so i feel like in a way we need to back up off of him for a minute and think of this man like if it was our own uncle, our own father. we don't want to hear all the things they did wrong upon their death. we want to talk about and celebrate the things they did right. >> brian, what's your take on it? >> i think i would agree to some extent. i think reverend sharpton made a fine point that there was too much focus on the negative. and then you had on the other side the congressman from new york, peter king -- >> sure. >> -- who not only indicted but

convicted the man of charges that he was actually acquitted on, by calling him a pervert and other really salacious terms, after the fact that michael was acquitted of all 14 of those charges back during the trial in santa barbara. but you know, michael jackson -- and i saw this when i sat down with him. was one of the most complex people i've ever talked to. a brilliant, brilliant creative force. he knew music. he knew literature. he was also an amazing talented dancer. he would get calls from his mentor, fred astaire, who i remember he told me once about michael calling him after -- i mean he calling michael after the famous motown 25 performance and just saying he watched that night, he recorded it, he watched it the next morning, and he knocked people's socks off. >> all right. >> he was also a father. and a brother. he was complicated. >> all right. let's get in a caller right now. i believe our caller, is it linda or mary who's calling right now? okay. linda's calling us from nevada. linda, what do you think? >> caller: what i think is just

they are trashing him. the question of the parentage of his children, which is no one's business. no one's business. number two, they're asking people about what they said -- somebody said this, somebody said this, but there's no proof. the person that said he was taking 50 xanax and walking around, that's not true. i'm an rn and i work with drug addicts. that is not a true statement. >> okay, linda, thank you for your phone call. i think some people are talking about the tabloid coverage, lauren and brian, but we got to be real. there's also a death investigation here that could end up being a criminal investigation. these are some things that are not pretty that fans may not want to talk about, but where does that fit into the discussions? where does that fit into the reporting, brian? >> there are serious issues at stake here, were there doctors involved that may have overprescribed him medication or helped get prescriptions in other people's names? serious issues about, you know, was he pushing himself too hard

at the end, or was he in fact, as i talked to people who were there rehearsing with him in those last days, getting ready for the concert, that he was in top form, energetic, passionate, outdancing some of the 25-year-olds. so there are a lot of things that will be looked into. but we have to go by first, what did we see, what did we observe, what did we report and what did we get from reputable sources that we can stake our reputation on. and not the hearsay and all the other things that are floating around. and there's a lot of that floating around, but we have to keep focused on what do we know or what do we know from reputable sources. >> lauren, brian, don't go anywhere. and we want to know, what do you think? are the media trashing michael jackson? we know you have views on this. call 1-877-tell-hln. úúúúúúúúúúúú