Rush's Attorney Claims Political Motive; Rush Compares Himself to Dean

NewsMax ^ | 12/5/03 | Wire

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Rush Limbaugh poked fun at the investigation into whether he bought painkillers illegally during his Friday afternoon broadcast, hours after his attorney attacked investigators for their political motives.

Palm Beach investigators recently obtained search warrants for Limbaugh's doctors' offices and alleged Thursday that the conservative radio commentator engaged in illegal drug use and went ``doctor shopping'' for prescription painkillers.

Limbaugh compared the search warrants for his medical records to the demands that Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean release political records from his years as Vermont governor.

``A lot of people think he should release his political records... Nobody's demanding he release them. There aren't any search warrants being issued for his political records,'' Limbaugh said from his South Florida studio. ``I bet you what, if I had been treated by Dr. Dean, I bet you Democrats in certain parts of this country would be demanding his records.''

His brief reference to the investigation came during his three-hour broadcast, which he has used over the past several weeks to defend allegations that he used illegal drugs and illegally funneled money to buy prescription painkillers.

Earlier Friday, Limbaugh's attorney, Roy Black, accused the Palm Beach state attorney of investigating Limbaugh only for political reasons. Black said Limbaugh was not a target of State Attorney Barry Krischer's investigation until October when the National Enquirer quoted Limbaugh's maid as 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?''

Black did not immediately return a call Friday from The Associated Press.

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

``Whether Mr. Limbaugh is subject to prosecution for any crimes is still under investigation. Mr. Limbaugh is presumed innocent,'' Krischer said Thursday.

Krischer's office began investigating Limbaugh 10 months before the Enquirer story after prosecutors met with the former maid, Wilma Cline. She 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. Investigators then examined records from Palm Beach pharmacies near Limbaugh's $24 million oceanfront mansion that they say support the doctor-shopping allegations.

The warrants list prescriptions for more than 2,000 pills from March 24 through Sept. 26. from four doctors. The medications include the powerful painkillers Oxycontin, Lorcet, Norco, hydrocodone and Kadian. In addition, Limbaugh received prescriptions for the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and Clonodine, used to treat high blood pressure.

[wardaddy]

Rush was chipping...sadly. In Palm Beach, he will be very lucky to escape his natural foes making hay with this.

If I bought 1000s of opiod pills and doctor shopped, I'd be in trouble...even without the enemies Rush has.

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

Very well said. I knew he was going to try and spin this that the liberals are out to get him on this. Personal responsibility is for everyone all the time. Not just when you want to use it.

[wardaddy]

Here's a local case involving a prominant pharmacist and "selling" legal narcotics in large illegal volumes. Note possible jail times involved. As an aside, the Feds usually treat large possession as possesion with intent and conspiracy as a matter of course and as indicated stauatory-wise:

http://tennessean.com/local/archives/03/12/43653694.shtml?Element_ID=43653694

[Major_Risktaker]

Black did not immediately return a call Friday from The Associated Press.

Oh yeah, drop everything when AP calls.

[backhoe]

FWIW:

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1034460/posts

SMOKING GUN As To Polically Motivated Investigation Of Rush REVEALED!!!
Free Republic ^ | December 5, 2003 | Herbivore

Interesting. So the main person instigating this investigation of Rush is also the same person who has a hateful "Rush Is A Nazi" song on her website.

Rush is a Nazi Lyrics Post #71)

[festus]

Once Rush is sure he is out of jeapordy on this lookout....

You don't pick a fight with folks that buy ink by the barrel or airwaves by the nation.

If they convict him on some drug violation it won't affect him much. He is out in front by already admitting he had the problem.

If they push the money laundering one I don't know it may hurt him some. Its not money laundering but the sad fact is the law is written so that if it looks like you structured multiple transactions to evade having to report all transactions over 10K then you are guilty and ignorance of the law is no excuse the way they wrote that one.

That said can someone explain how Rush would have gotten the drugs via prescriptions and then had to launder money to buy them at the pharmacy ? That doesn't make sense.

[Hot Tabasco]

2,000 pills from March 24 through Sept. 26. from four doctors. The medications include the powerful painkillers Oxycontin, Lorcet, Norco, hydrocodone and Kadian. In addition, Limbaugh received prescriptions for the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and Clonodine, used to treat high blood pressure

Hmmmmm, lets see, 6 months equals approx. 180 days, 2,000 pills divided by 180 days equals about 11 pills per day.

So, we now know he allegedly had prescriptions prescribed for him and assumed (by alleged reports) he consumed approx. 11 pills per day of any of a combination of the above.

So, what would be a normal prescription of pain killer? 3 or 4 per day? And what would be a normal prescribed consumption of Xanax? 2, 3 or 4 per day? And what would be a normal prescription of any medication to combat high blood pressure?

Nothing implied here, just doing some math........

[Bobibutu]

"Wouldn't the provisions of HIPAA restrict or prevent the release of that information?"

"Doesn't HIPAA prevent the release of such information when it is not specifically within the narrowly-defined and justified requirements of a requesting authority?"

They do. And this may be the item that makes this go away for Rush.

Whoever released his info violated fed regs.

There are 3 guaranteed privacies. 1. Atty.- Client 2. Priest -confessant 3. Dr. - Patient

HIPAA cast #3 in stone and spades. Beyond Dr-Pt to all Pts med info in any form - spoken, writen, electronic, etc.

I am not a Dr (they don't understand HIPAA) nor an Atty - (they don't understand HIPAA) ... I gave seminars on HIPAA Compliance for 5 years to Drs/staff and Hosp admins/staff.

[JoeSchem]

What you mean is that Mr. Limbaugh should have enabled the government to track all his substantial transactions. Never complain to me about the Patriot Act!

Good one. It's important that we remind people that it wasn't John Ashcroft who gave Americans a National ID number, it was Franklin Roosevelt.

[Hot Tabasco]

If they push the money laundering

That is a dead story. Nothing more than a hatchett job by a hack ABC reporter who uncovered information from 2 years ago and decided to make it a headline story for Jennings.

Rush was not under investigation, he was questioned by authorities who were building a case against the bank!

As I said, it is history and the whole story is available if you wish to do the proper footwork........

[Hot Tabasco]

The warrants list prescriptions for more than 2,000 pills

2,000 pills prescribed, 3000 pills per month claimed by extortionist, oops, the maid, one has to wonder about the credibility of both claims.

If you were to believe the authorities claim then you have to debunk the maid. After all, if you can purchase with the prescription then why would you rely on the maid?

If you can buy thru the maid then why would you rely on legal prescriptions?

Can you say extortion? Sure you can......

[Hildy]

He ADMITTED he's a drug addict. He took GADS of pills, more pills than any one doctor would ever prescribe. He's admitted that, he's gone into treatment. The definition of a addict is one who takes more drugs than prescribed. If he is arrested, what a can of worms this opens for all of Hollywood. Why do you think they've been so quiet?

[tbpiper]

seems poor rush has been lacking in moral fiber.

seems poor HuffleClaw is lacking in basic reasoning ability.

At anytime did Rush's 'excellence in broadcasting' suffer? Despite his personal problems, he maintained his broadcasting excellence. The 'hard fall' is related to those who wish him ill for any reason.

seems poor HuffleClaw is lacking in unbiased thinking.

finished feasting on his oxycontin-laced money-laundering bones

The obvious relish with wich you stated that belies your bias.

seems poor HuffleClaw has be caught.

[festus]

2,000 pills prescribed, 3000 pills per month claimed by extortionist, oops, the maid, one has to wonder about the credibility of both claims.

Well if you can't trust what you read in the national enquirer what can you trust ? [/sarcasm off]

I mean I won't believe this story till I read it in the New York Times [ /sarcasm really off for real ;-]

Could someone explain to me the practical difference between the NYTimes and the National Enquirer ?

[Hot Tabasco]

He ADMITTED he's a drug addict. He took GADS of pills, more pills than any one doctor would ever prescribe

Oh Really? Where did you hear that? The only thing I heard him say was "I am addicted to pain killers...".

Care to share with us where you got YOUR information?

[I still care]

Take this scenario -

You are in pain from a bad accident, go to doctor A. He prescribes a whole mess of pain relievers, relaxants, etc. - after all you are in real pain.

You are still in pain so you go to doctor B (same specialty). He says maybe you need something different than what doctor A prescribed, at this point you have several different powerful pain relievers in your cabinet. And you need them. After all, you are in pain.

At this point you get referred to surgeon. He prescribes something really powerful (for after surgical pain).

Shortly after the surgery, you go back to doctor B, because the character of your problems are changing, and he is having a busy day - it is a bad day for everyone because of the weather, and his office is full and he is running his tail off.

He throws prescriptions at you. He really shouldn't, but you take them, even though you don't really need them at the moment, because God knows you might end up needing them, and you think you'll put them in your cabinet in case you really have to have one. After all, you are still in real pain.

Now another problem crops up - from the same accident, but this time it is your elbow/shoulder/knee etc instead of your back or your headache. So you go to a different specialist, Doctor C. He listens to your meds, and prescribes a third pain reliever, because "this one is better than the others for this part of the body".

By this time your medicine cabinet is looking like a pharmacy.

[EverFree]

Do you alledge that Mr. Limbaugh converted money that didn't belong to him, or that he had obtained illegally, through bank transactions? I doubt it; as a multimillionaire Mr. Limbaugh utterly lacks the motive.

Playing Dumb ain't gonna help Rush in court.

What you mean is that Mr. Limbaugh should have enabled the government to track all his substantial transactions.

That's not "what he meant" and you know it!
Playing the Victim ain't gonna help Rush in court, either.

[Hot Tabasco]

He ADMITTED he's a drug addict.

Is it possible that one could legally reap the benefits of a legally prescribed pain killing drug and at the same time admit that they are addicted to that drug without being labeled a felon?

[185JHP]

"I want a Highland friend who's with me not only when I'm right, but when I'm a little bit wrong" (attributed to Robert Burns).