Federal prosecutors announced charges Wednesday against three men accused of threatening and intimidating women who have accused R&B singer R. Kelly of abuse, including one man suspected of setting fire to a vehicle in Florida.
A longtime friend of the indicted singer offered to pay a victim $500,000 to keep her from cooperating in Kelly's prosecution, authorities said, while a manager and adviser of Kelly threatened to release sexually explicit photographs of a woman who sued Kelly.
The Grammy-award winning musician has denied ever abusing anyone and has pleaded not guilty to dozens of state and federal sexual misconduct charges in Illinois, Minnesota, and New York.
The charges range from sexual assault to heading a racketeering scheme aimed at supplying Kelly with girls. Kelly also is accused of having unprotected sex with a girl in 2015 without disclosing he had herpes.
Prosecutors described a third man accused of intimidating witnesses as being related to a former Kelly publicist. They said Michael Williams, 37, of Valdosta, Georgia, traveled to Florida in June and set fire to an SUV parked outside a residence where one of Kelly's victims was staying.
Williams also conducted Internet searches for "the detonation properties of fertilizer and diesel fuel, witness intimidation and witness tampering and countries that do not have extradition with the United States," authorities said in a news release.
A message was sent to Williams' attorney seeking comment.
Baker fills in for Jill on this Veteran's Day, as the president continues to sow unfounded doubts about who won the election, and the president-elect and rest of the world start to move on.
Some major and promising developments on the path forward in the pandemic, plus the GOP lines up behind Trump's refusal to concede the election, 2020 breaks another record and who will fill Alex Trebek's shoes?
Health experts say a safe Thanksgiving during a pandemic is possible, but they know their advice is as tough to swallow as dry, overcooked turkey.
John Matze, CEO of Parler, says he welcomes Republicans and Democrats alike to create "discussion, debate, and discourse" on the popular "free speech social network."
Jill and Carlo go over what happened in an historic weekend as Joe Biden preps to become the 46th president. Also: Trump won't concede, Alex Trebek has died, and predictions for the week.
Jill and Carlo end the week with the latest updates on the state of the presidential race, why Georgia could determine control of the Senate, some final thoughts on the election & Love, Hate, Ate - Election Night Edition.
The National Toy Hall of Fame has inducted its Class of 2020. The three honorees revealed Thursday are Baby Nancy, sidewalk chalk and the wooden block game Jenga.
The AP calls Michigan and Wisconsin for Biden as the lawsuits start flying. With Dems' disappointing down-ballot, is divided gov't good for business? Or America? Plus, everyone got drunk on Election Night.
Where things stand in the presidential and Senate races as day breaks on the East Coast.
Voters in Arizona, Montana, and New Jersey will vote on adult-use cannabis legalization, while voters in Mississippi will decide on medical cannabis and South Dakota will consider both medical and adult-use simultaneously.
