TRANSCRIPT
ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES
Aired January 15, 2004 - 19:00 ET
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a frenzied scene. Michael Jackson's advisers gather in a Beverly Hills hotel. One of those advisers quietly watching the scene is this man, Leonard Mohammed, of the Nation of Islam.
He is the chief of staff to the group's leader, Louis Farrakan, whose daughter is married to Mohammed. At the 1995 Million Man March, organized by the group, some say is a black separatist organization, Mohammed had this to say about his father in law.
LEONARD MOHAMMED, NATION OF ISLAM: The honorable Louis Farrakan is our man, our leader, and he's the architect of this day. He deserves all our support.
TUCHMAN: Now he's offering his support to the so-called King of Pop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you tell us what your role is today and what you've done, sir?
MOHAMMED: Make sure everybody knows that Michael Jackson is innocent and his career is going to continue as usual.
TUCHMAN: Mohammad is 58 years old. He helps the Nation of Islam with economic development programs. But in articles and newspapers from the "Los Angeles Times: to the "Chicago Tribune," to the "New York Times," he's been portrayed as a business man, who has allegedly been in involved in business and tax improprieties in the '80s and '90s.
Mohammed has not returned calls to CNN about the allegations and is saying little about the allegations against Jackson. Sources say he is playing a significant role in the Jackson camp. Gary Tuchman, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: One man who is definitely playing a significant role in the Jackson camp, Charles Koppelman, one of Michael Jackson's financial advisers. He joins us now. Thanks so much for being with us.
CHARLES KOPPELMAN, FINANCIAL ADVISER TO MICHAEL JACKSON: Thank you for inviting me.
COOPER: Let's talk about Leonard Mohammad. What's his role in the inner circle?
KOPPELMAN: He's been a long-time friend of Michael's. With the recent legal troubles that Michael has had, Michael has asked Leonard to spend more time with him in helping him sort out all the different issue as it pertains to his case.
COOPER: There's lots of talk about this, but the "New York Times" reports, citing unnamed sources allegedly within the Jackson camp, whatever exactly that means, said that Leonard Mohammad is involved in legal issues, involved in financial issues, involved in media related issues. True?
KOPPELMAN: I think that you have to understand that when you're Michael Jackson and you run an enterprise as vast and as wide as his, you make the decisions. If he's decided that he wants some help from Leonard Mohammed, he's going to get the help from Leonard Mohammed, no different than he gets the help from myself and the others that have around him advising him.
COOPER: As an adviser does it -- I'm going to put you on the spot, maybe a little bit. As an adviser, does it concern you that someone with the background of Mr. Mohammed, affiliated with the Nation of Islam, a controversial group, and according to the "New York Times," "Washington Post," he has had some questionable business dealings in the past year?
KOPPELMAN: I can't speak the things that I don't really know. I know that he's an individual. That he has a contribution. He's a friend of Michael's. And Michael's asked him to help and he's been kind enough to say he's going to help.
COOPER: You keep hearing of advisers. How does it work? You guys sit around a table and have a weekly meeting? I can't imagine the intricacy of Michael Jackson's life. How does it work?
KOPPELMAN: It is no different than anyone who has a billion dollar enterprise. You have people that you rely on. We speak on a regular basis, five, six, ten times a day.
COOPER: This isn't like a full-time job for you. I mean, you've got a lot of interests, a lot of things going on in your life.
KOPPELMAN: Chairman of Steve Madden Shoes, great shoe company. And by the way, I spent a lot of time talking to the people of Steve Madden Shoes as I do with regard to Michael. The meeting that everybody has been blowing out of proportion is a meeting that we have on a regular base when we can all be together at the same time.
One of the reasons I accepted your invitation is because the press account of all of this stuff, including about Leonard and about these meetings and all the advisers scurrying around is really a lot of nonsense.
COOPER: So the Nation of Islam is not in control of Michael Jackson right now?
KOPPELMAN: Absolutely not.
COOPER: All right. I appreciate you joining us. Thanks very much. Nice to meet you.
KOPPELMAN: Nice to see you.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0401/15/acd.00.html
ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES
Aired January 15, 2004 - 19:00 ET
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a frenzied scene. Michael Jackson's advisers gather in a Beverly Hills hotel. One of those advisers quietly watching the scene is this man, Leonard Mohammed, of the Nation of Islam.
He is the chief of staff to the group's leader, Louis Farrakan, whose daughter is married to Mohammed. At the 1995 Million Man March, organized by the group, some say is a black separatist organization, Mohammed had this to say about his father in law.
LEONARD MOHAMMED, NATION OF ISLAM: The honorable Louis Farrakan is our man, our leader, and he's the architect of this day. He deserves all our support.
TUCHMAN: Now he's offering his support to the so-called King of Pop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you tell us what your role is today and what you've done, sir?
MOHAMMED: Make sure everybody knows that Michael Jackson is innocent and his career is going to continue as usual.
TUCHMAN: Mohammad is 58 years old. He helps the Nation of Islam with economic development programs. But in articles and newspapers from the "Los Angeles Times: to the "Chicago Tribune," to the "New York Times," he's been portrayed as a business man, who has allegedly been in involved in business and tax improprieties in the '80s and '90s.
Mohammed has not returned calls to CNN about the allegations and is saying little about the allegations against Jackson. Sources say he is playing a significant role in the Jackson camp. Gary Tuchman, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: One man who is definitely playing a significant role in the Jackson camp, Charles Koppelman, one of Michael Jackson's financial advisers. He joins us now. Thanks so much for being with us.
CHARLES KOPPELMAN, FINANCIAL ADVISER TO MICHAEL JACKSON: Thank you for inviting me.
COOPER: Let's talk about Leonard Mohammad. What's his role in the inner circle?
KOPPELMAN: He's been a long-time friend of Michael's. With the recent legal troubles that Michael has had, Michael has asked Leonard to spend more time with him in helping him sort out all the different issue as it pertains to his case.
COOPER: There's lots of talk about this, but the "New York Times" reports, citing unnamed sources allegedly within the Jackson camp, whatever exactly that means, said that Leonard Mohammad is involved in legal issues, involved in financial issues, involved in media related issues. True?
KOPPELMAN: I think that you have to understand that when you're Michael Jackson and you run an enterprise as vast and as wide as his, you make the decisions. If he's decided that he wants some help from Leonard Mohammed, he's going to get the help from Leonard Mohammed, no different than he gets the help from myself and the others that have around him advising him.
COOPER: As an adviser does it -- I'm going to put you on the spot, maybe a little bit. As an adviser, does it concern you that someone with the background of Mr. Mohammed, affiliated with the Nation of Islam, a controversial group, and according to the "New York Times," "Washington Post," he has had some questionable business dealings in the past year?
KOPPELMAN: I can't speak the things that I don't really know. I know that he's an individual. That he has a contribution. He's a friend of Michael's. And Michael's asked him to help and he's been kind enough to say he's going to help.
COOPER: You keep hearing of advisers. How does it work? You guys sit around a table and have a weekly meeting? I can't imagine the intricacy of Michael Jackson's life. How does it work?
KOPPELMAN: It is no different than anyone who has a billion dollar enterprise. You have people that you rely on. We speak on a regular basis, five, six, ten times a day.
COOPER: This isn't like a full-time job for you. I mean, you've got a lot of interests, a lot of things going on in your life.
KOPPELMAN: Chairman of Steve Madden Shoes, great shoe company. And by the way, I spent a lot of time talking to the people of Steve Madden Shoes as I do with regard to Michael. The meeting that everybody has been blowing out of proportion is a meeting that we have on a regular base when we can all be together at the same time.
One of the reasons I accepted your invitation is because the press account of all of this stuff, including about Leonard and about these meetings and all the advisers scurrying around is really a lot of nonsense.
COOPER: So the Nation of Islam is not in control of Michael Jackson right now?
KOPPELMAN: Absolutely not.
COOPER: All right. I appreciate you joining us. Thanks very much. Nice to meet you.
KOPPELMAN: Nice to see you.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0401/15/acd.00.html