AEG Live’s Statement on Michael Jackson and Dr. Conrad Murray

AEG Live, the concert promoter behind Michael Jackson's canceled "This Is It" tour, tells ET that the late icon "insisted" they hire Dr. Conrad Murray for him.

"Dr. Murray was Michael's personal physician. Michael wanted him to go to London and asked AEG to pay for him as an expense of the tour," the company tells us. "We would have preferred to hire a doctor in London, as it would have been more cost effective, but Michael insisted on Dr. Murray."

Earlier Wednesday, Murray's attorney told ET that federal authorities searched the doctor's offices for manslaughter evidence.