The Associated Press reports:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Child welfare investigators earlier this year found there was no basis for allegations that Michael Jackson had abused the boy now accusing him of molestation, according to a confidential memo.

The memo from an administrator with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services was based on an investigation last February and was leaked to the Web site thesmokinggun.com, which posted it Tuesday. A source familiar with the document confirmed its authenticity to The Associated Press.

The memo was dated Nov. 26, 2003 - a week after the Santa Barbara County district attorney announced child molestation allegations against Jackson.

Both the boy and his brother told investigators Jackson had not sexually abused them, according to the memo. Their older sister said she had never witnessed anything sexually inappropriate between her brothers and the entertainer.

The memo was sent from a regional administrator to bureau chief Charles Sophy and detailed a probe completed before Sophy joined the agency.

Jackson's defense is certain to seize on the memo.

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas Sneddon did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday.

The memo, which refers to Jackson as ``the entertainer,'' said the department began a 13-day inquiry after a Los Angeles school district official called its hot line Feb. 14 out of concern for the boy and his brother. The investigation was conducted with the Los Angeles police.

Does anyone know if Sneddon will soon be seeking reelection or has aspirations to higher office? Though this new evidence is not conclusive, it makes his decision to charge Jackson look a lot less reasonable.

Update:A longer version of this entry has been published at Mac-a-ro-nies.