The Corey Details

Image credit: Corey Clark: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

STRAIGHT UP Clark claims to have the goods

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Season 2 American Idol finalist Corey Clark has already detailed his claims — that judge Paula Abdul coached and seduced him — on an hour-long report on Primetime Live and in a 132-page book, yet there's still some smoking-gun evidence he's held back that proves the pair had a liaison, his lawyer told the Associated Press. But don't expect him to be more forthcoming to the public with that proof than he has been with Fox and Idol's producers, with whom he has refused to participate in a probe into his allegations. Richard B. Jefferson told AP his client had not informed him of ''any plans to voluntarily reveal additional incriminating evidence, which he possesses, to the general public that undoubtedly proves the extent of their involvement because of its explicit nature.'' Jefferson did suggest that Clark would reveal it if compelled to do so under a subpoena, telling AP that his client would ''fully cooperate with any governmental agency that launches an investigation stemming from his claims.''

Does that mean that the government — say, the Federal Communications Commission — is making a federal case out of Clark's claims? Is the prospect that Abdul gave secret assistance to Clark while she was still voting on his pre-finalist performances analogous to the rigged feeding of answers to quiz show contestants that brought down government wrath on the networks in the late 1950s? MSNBC.com gossip columnist Jeannette Walls quotes a source familiar with FCC policy as saying that the agency was not likely to investigate Idol because it would probably ''consider American Idol to be entertainment, like World Wide Wrestling, rather than an actual competition.'' (No doubt Fox and Idol producers, not to mention millions of voters at home, would object to the show being characterized as something other than ''an actual competition.'')

Abdul has said she would not dignify Clark's allegations with a response, though she has responded by issuing two statements (blasting Clark for ''character assassination'' and publicity-seeking) and by lampooning the scandal on Saturday Night Live. In turn, Clark lawyer Jefferson told AP, ''Neither Ms. Abdul's vague statement nor her satire regarding this incident refutes her inappropriate relationship with Mr. Clark or discredits the veracity of his claims.''