MURRAY SCANS SCAM ALLEGATION

California State Senator Kevin Murray is looking into claims that EMI authorized the manipulation of SoundScan numbers, according to a story in the L.A. Times.

The charge reportedly stems from a legal tussle between the U.K.-based label group and L.A.-headquartered hip-hop label Avatar, with which EMI had previously been in a distribution deal. The indie rap outfit claims EMI coerced it to hire a “consultant” to artificially boost sales numbers by working a scan scam, the story says.

“EMI does not engage in any of these alleged practices,” goes a quote from an unidentified spokeswoman in reporter Jeff Leeds’ Times piece; the label rep went on to call the accusation “a red herring attempt by Avatar” to divert attention from its outstanding debt to its erstwhile distributor.

Murray, Leeds reports, is looking over statements from EMI and has not decided on a course of action.

Still, reads a quote from Murray in the story, the whole issue “raises some interesting questions about record company accounting practices.”