Clandestine tapes shot on Jackson’s jet

XtraJet President Mark Bethea said his company was conducting an internal investigation saying that company officials did not know who was responsible. He added that company had talked with Fox News Network, confidentially, ‘‘to determine what our legal position and options were with regards to having the tape potentially released.’’

The existence of the tape was first reported on Monday by Fox. The network said its personnel had viewed the tapes and that they saw Jackson looking calm, smiling or laughing during the flight.

Jeffrey Borer, an XtraJet corporate officer, said that once the tapes were discovered, the company had ‘‘explored the opportunity, as any business person would.’’

Borer said the company had contacted several television networks, asking for a confidentiality agreement about the existence of the taping. ‘‘They expressed interest in buying the tape. We told them the tape was not available. We were trying to figure out the most ethical thing to do. We made no decision, we had Michael’s best interest in mind, as we would do to any of our passengers,’’ he said.

Stuart Blackerman, Jackson’s spokesman, called the taping an invasion of privacy. ‘‘How would you feel flying on a plane where you might be taped?’’ he said.

A source close to Jackson said that his entourage had been alerted to the existence of the tape by CBS. Neither Santa Barbara authorities nor Jackson and his attorney were aware of the videotapes until Monday, according to another source close to Jackson.

Attorney Geragos was alerted by reporters on Monday and then contacted the jet’s operator, the source said. Bethea confirmed that company officials had spoken with Geragos and said they had assured him that no audiotapes of the flight had been found.

FBI officials said no investigation was under way in the case. Federal law makes electronic surveillance a crime unless at least one party to the transaction consents to its taping. (LAT-WP)