Michael Brown: A Twist in the Hand Doctor's Dildo Case

MGM Grand gets involved

​There's a new twist in what we like to call The Suitcase Full of Dildos Suit between lobbyist Stephen Payne and wife-beating former hand surgeon Michael Brown: the MGM Grand Hotel has filed as an intervenor in an attempt to collect a $120,000-plus judgment it won against Payne in 2010.

El Paso attorney Stephen Nickey, who filed the petition on behalf of MGM, told Hair Balls that the money in question was related to either credit extended for gambling at the hotel's casino, or for stays at the hotel. (MGM's Las Vegas attorney wasn't immediately available, and Clark County court records don't have the details).

Payne had sued Brown last June, accusing Brown of backing out of a deal Payne had brokered for Brown to open a hand surgery center in Dubai. Payne also accused Brown of tarnishing his reputation by "having sexual paraphernalia, sex videos, and other objects which were confiscated from Brown's suitcase by the Dubai authorities."

We found that funny, since we thought Payne's reputation was already tarnished by a 2008 London Sunday Times investigation suggesting that Payne could arrange a meeting between a former Kyrgyzstan head of state and Dick Cheney or Condoleezza Rice if the former official would first contribute $250,000 to the Bush Library. (Payne vehemently denied any wrongdoing, saying he was "a victim of a confidence game sponsored by the paper." Congressman Henry Waxman called for a probe into Payne's dealings, but he was never officially accused of, or charged with, violating any laws in connection with the incident).

MGM's judgment against Payne includes an $83,000 principal debt, plus interest and attorney's fees. Neither Payne nor his attorney were immediately available for comment, but we'll have an update if and when we hear from them.