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NY Daily News: Rush Limbaugh in Pill Probe -- Talk radio star had drug habit, maid sez
NY Daily News & Drudge ^ | October 1, 2003 | Tracy Connor

Posted on 10/01/2003 10:41:34 PM PDT by lainie

Talk-radio titan Rush Limbaugh is being investigated for allegedly buying thousands of addictive painkillers from a black-market drug ring.

The moralizing motormouth was turned in by his former housekeeper - who says she was Limbaugh's pill supplier for four years.

Wilma Cline, 42, says Limbaugh was hooked on the potent prescription drugs OxyContin, Lorcet and hydrocodone - and went through detox twice.

"There were times when I worried," Cline told the National Enquirer, which broke the story in an edition being published today. "All these pills are enough to kill an elephant - never mind a man."

Cline could not be reached for further comment yesterday, but her lawyer, Ed Shohat of Miami, said his client "stands behind the story."

The Daily News independently confirmed that Limbaugh is under investigation.

His lawyers, Jerry Fox and Dan Zachary, refused to comment on the accusations and said any "medical information" about him was private and not newsworthy.

They said Limbaugh - who has a top-rated syndicated radio show but resigned early today from a weekly ESPN football segment amid criticism of racial comments about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb - was traveling and had no comment.

The Palm Beach County state attorney's office, which is running the probe, said it could not confirm or deny the allegations.

Scoring in parking lot

Cline told the Enquirer she went to prosecutors with information about Limbaugh and others after four years of drug deals that included clandestine handoffs in a Denny's parking lot.

She said she wore a wire during her last two deliveries to the conservative commentator and gave the tapes to authorities.

She also gave the Enquirer a ledger documenting how many pills she claimed to have bought for him - 4,350 in one 47-day period - and E-mails she claimed Limbaugh sent her.

In one missive, Limbaugh pushed Cline to get more "little blues" - code for OxyContin, the powerful narcotic nicknamed hillbilly heroin, she said.

"You know how this stuff works ... the more you get used to, the more it takes," the May 2002 E-mail reads. "But I will try and cut down to help out."

The account Cline gave the Enquirer is that she became Limbaugh's drug connection in 1998, nine months after taking a housekeeping job at his Palm Beach mansion.

It started after her husband, David, hurt himself in a fall, and Limbaugh asked how he was.

"He asked me casually, 'Is he getting any pain medication?' I said, 'Yes - he's had surgery, and the doctor gave him hydro-codone 750,'" Cline said. "To my astonishment, he said, 'Can you spare a couple of them?'"

Husband's pills

Cline said she gave Limbaugh 10 pills the next day and agreed to give him 30 of her husband's pills each month. When the doctor stopped renewing the prescription in early 1999, Limbaugh allegedly went ballistic.

"His tone was nasty and bullying. He said, 'I don't care how or what you do, but you'd better - better! - get me some more,'" Cline said.

The housekeeper said she found a new supplier and arranged to hide Limbaugh's stashes under his mattress so his wife, Marta, wouldn't find them.

After several months, Limbaugh told her he was going to New York for detox and didn't need any more pills, Cline said.

But a month later, he said his left ear was hurting and asked her for hydrocodone, followed by an order for OxyContin.

Limbaugh, 52, suffered from autoimmune ear disease, a condition that left him deaf and had to be corrected with cochlear implant surgery two years ago.

Cline said she continued to make deliveries to Limbaugh even after she quit as his housekeeper in July 2001 - but he became increasingly paranoid, even patting her down for recording devices, she said.

In June 2002, Limbaugh told her he was going to New York for detox a second time.

After he returned, "I went to talk to him, and he cried a little bit," she said. "He told me that if it ever got out, he would be ruined."

She claimed that a lawyer for Limbaugh gave her a payoff - $80,000 he owed her, plus another $120,000 - and asked her to destroy the computer that contained the E-mail records.

Soon after, Cline and her husband retained Shohat and contacted prosecutors.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: addiction; afraidofrush; algorelostgetoverit; claslessdailynews; dailynewsnoclass; danzachary; edshohat; hitpiece; jerryfox; limbaugh; nationalenquirer; nydailynews; recovery; rush; rushlimbaugh; sleazydailynews; tabloidjournalism; talkradio; terrifiedofrush; wilmacline; wodlist
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To: deedgirl
I hope he gets help if this story is true.

If true, it goes to show that drug dependent persons aren't skidrow types most of the time. Look how productive Limbaugh is and the reasoning abilities he demonstrates while supposedly impaired. Had it not been for a snitch this would never had become public.

Some old studies showed that opiates when taken for pain, did not significantly impair cognition when dosed to treat the pain. But the supposed dose...jeez.

I must admit this may be one`explanation for the ESPN boo boo.

I truly hope this is all bunk.
61 posted on 10/01/2003 10:58:39 PM PDT by Lawdoc
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To: quidnunc
Don't kid yourself, this is a serious hit.

I agree. If there's any substance to this at all, it could be a career-ender. It would have been a career enhancement if Rush was a leftist, but that's beside the point.

62 posted on 10/01/2003 10:59:25 PM PDT by Junior_G
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To: quidnunc
Don't kid yourself, this is a serious hit.

I agree, but knowing how forgiving the American People are (to a fault even), he can rehab his image and come back. But I agree, this is a big hit against Rush.

63 posted on 10/01/2003 10:59:27 PM PDT by Paradox (I dont believe in taglines, in fact, this tagline does not exist.)
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To: Junior_G
U bet !!! Just like the demand for a hearing on the so-called CIA "leak" transpiring in DC. Such a farce!!!
Rush is still The Man!!! I know we can all see what is happening here.
64 posted on 10/01/2003 10:59:28 PM PDT by lora_one (You only live once ---- Enjoy it !!!)
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To: Lurkd Long Enough
Once Rush started buying pills off the black market to satisfy his habit, I would say that he has a problem

It has not yet been established how much of this is true

65 posted on 10/01/2003 10:59:30 PM PDT by GeronL (The War is not the Presidents hobby!)
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To: Redcloak
Dave Kendall from the Impeachement days
66 posted on 10/01/2003 10:59:37 PM PDT by Mo1 (http://www.favewavs.com/wavs/cartoons/spdemocrats.wav)
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To: lainie
He did seem awfully spacey when he was losing his hearing, although when he divulged the hearing loss that seemed to explain things.
67 posted on 10/01/2003 10:59:57 PM PDT by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington
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To: Hildy
Yeah and I notice the mention of "prosecutors" but no specifics on charges or pending charges or quotes from LEO.
68 posted on 10/01/2003 11:00:11 PM PDT by lainie
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To: Allan
Yes it is if it is true

The news media will make it a serious hit...true or not.

69 posted on 10/01/2003 11:00:27 PM PDT by Rokurota
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To: MJY1288
MJY1288 wrote: Get a grip..... If Rush was taking 100 pills a day he would sound like Ozzie Ozbourne

The truth takes a back seat to perceptions here.

Regardless of how many pills he was taking, if he was indeed hooked and buying them illegally it is going to be bad for him.

I don't see the snitch lying about wearing a wire.

70 posted on 10/01/2003 11:00:42 PM PDT by quidnunc (Omnis Gaul delenda est)
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To: Lawdoc
I must admit this may be one`explanation for the ESPN boo boo.

Good point. If he was taking as much vicodin as alleged, I'm surprised he could even function.

71 posted on 10/01/2003 11:00:45 PM PDT by Lurkd Long Enough
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To: Rokurota
Well, Rush has already surrendered like a Frenchman.

Dont believe that. Rush was only allowed to resign with dignity. He would have been fired had he not left on his own.

72 posted on 10/01/2003 11:00:55 PM PDT by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache)
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To: Reagan Man
Not to mention emails! He sent emails? I doubt that.


But it bothers me that his lawyers had no comment.
73 posted on 10/01/2003 11:01:11 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: GeronL
This doesn't make sense?

Rush makes 3 million per month and this so called house keeper doesn't ask him for a big payoff to keep quiet?

If this was true she could have gotten big time case to shut up but she went to the police and the press for pennies what Rush would pay here to shut up ?

The story stinks !

74 posted on 10/01/2003 11:02:09 PM PDT by america-rules (I'm one proud American right now !)
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To: Pukin Dog
Dont believe that. Rush was only allowed to resign with dignity. He would have been fired had he not left on his own.

In my opinion, being fired would have been the diginty route.

75 posted on 10/01/2003 11:02:31 PM PDT by Rokurota
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To: Lurkd Long Enough
How about we say:

>>>Once If Rush started buying pills off the black market to satisfy his habit, I would say that he has a problem.

For now at least. Theres no proof that anything like this even remotely took place and besides, I don't trust the National Enquirer.

I've listened to Rush for 13 years now and I can't imagine him a dealing in the black market for pills. The man's a multi-millionare! LOL Come on.

76 posted on 10/01/2003 11:02:40 PM PDT by Reagan Man (The few, the proud, the conservatives.)
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To: quidnunc
Think about it. Rush has lost 100+ lbs. over the last five years. If he had been doing speed he could have lost the weight but with pain killers he would be back up to 300+ lbs.
77 posted on 10/01/2003 11:03:07 PM PDT by pete anderson
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Comment #78 Removed by Moderator

To: quidnunc
ROFLMAO, 100 pills a day, a wire on a cleaning lady to make a case on a user?

Like I said... Get a grip

79 posted on 10/01/2003 11:03:45 PM PDT by MJY1288 (Joseph Wilson is a fraud)
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To: Reagan Man
I guess we'll find out if it's true soon enough.
80 posted on 10/01/2003 11:04:10 PM PDT by Lurkd Long Enough
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