LIMBAUGH ACCUSED OF 'DOCTOR SHOPPING' FOR PILLS

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Investigators who raided the offices of Rush
Limbaugh's doctors said in search warrants filed Thursday that the
conservative radio commentator engaged in illegal drug use and "doctor
shopping" for prescription painkillers.

The warrants - which name four doctors and several prescription drugs -
show investigators were looking for records including prescription
disbursements, appointment schedules, receipts and a medical questionnaire
when they raided the offices Nov. 25.

"Mr. Limbaugh's actions violate the letter, and spirit" of the law that
relates to doctor shopping, stated one of warrants, signed by Asim Brown, a
law enforcement agent assigned to the state attorney's office anti-money
laundering task force. Doctor shopping refers to looking for a doctor
willing to prescribe drugs illegally.

Limbaugh denied any wrongdoing to listeners on his radio show earlier
Thursday and accused prosecutors in Palm Beach County of going on a
"fishing expedition."

Reading from a statement prepared by his attorney Roy Black, Limbaugh
denied any wrongdoing and said the medical records will clear him.

"What these records show is that Mr. Limbaugh suffered extreme pain and had
legitimate reasons for taking pain medication," Limbaugh said.
"Unfortunately, because of Mr. Limbaugh's prominence and well-known
political opinions, he is being subjected to an invasion of privacy no
citizen of this republic should endure."

State Attorney Barry Krischer said in a statement that Limbaugh's rights
have been "scrupulously protected."

"Whether Mr. Limbaugh is subject to prosecution for any crimes is still
under investigation. Mr. Limbaugh is presumed innocent," Krischer said.

The search warrants were filed at Palm Beach County Circuit Court. One was
executed at Palm Beach Ear, Nose and Throat Association in Palm Beach
Gardens, where investigators seized five months of records from a Palm
Beach pharmacy that they say support the doctor-shopping allegations.

Two warrants were executed at the offices of Jupiter Outpatient Surgery
Center. Information on the fourth warrant wasn't immediately available.

The records seized include prescriptions for Norco, Niacin, OxyContin,
Xanax, Lorcet and other medications. The physicians named in the warrants
are Dr. Nathaniel Drourr, Dr. Antonio De La Cruz, Dr. Lawrence Deziel and
Dr. John Murray.

Drourr and officials at both centers declined comment, citing privacy laws.
Murray did not return a phone call seeking comment, and the other doctors
could not be immediately reached.

Limbaugh was absent from his show for five weeks recently while spending
time at a drug rehabilitation program because of his addiction to
prescription painkillers.

Previously, law enforcement sources in Palm Beach County, where Limbaugh
owns a $24 million oceanfront mansion, confirmed that a criminal
investigation into a prescription drug ring involved Limbaugh. His former
maid, Wilma Cline, reported supplying him with OxyContin and other painkillers.

Last month, a law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity
said authorities also were investigating whether Limbaugh illegally
funneled money to buy prescription painkillers. The radio host responded
with a blanket denial of the allegations during his third day back on the air.