The Return of Jacko

He's back!!! Or is it possible Michael Jackson has been quietly lurking in our region ever since his early-a.m. Smithsonian tour last week?

The sometimes-reclusive, sometimes-exhibitionist performer was spotted Wednesday evening in the downtown law offices of Venable LLP. One spy said he looked exactly like -- well, himself: black sunglasses, black jacket, white shirt, black pants, white socks, black loafers, a pair of oversize bodyguards.

For those lucky enough to glimpse Jackson, his appearance explained a memo the firm had just put out, warning staffers not to gawk at clients.

What was he doing here? All we know is what Jackson's D.C.-based rep, Raymone Bain, told us last month when the singer showed up on Maryland's Eastern Shore -- that he's looking for real estate (no word of a purchase yet) and that he had to meet with East Coast advisers. Bain didn't return calls yesterday; Venable reps said they couldn't discuss any visits to their offices "out of respect for the privacy of all our clients."

This Just in...

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So, not only was the cocaine in the pocket not hers, said Lindsay Lohan -- heck, the pants weren't even hers! Lohan's camp claimed yesterday that the actress was wearing "someone else's" trousers when arrested this week, reports ETonline; no word on who owns them. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Part 5?

Charges Dropped in Bizare Altercation

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Prosecutors dropped assault charges yesterday in the matter of the weird altercation at Erwin Gomez's Georgetown beauty salon in May. During an outdoor party, neighbor Gunnar Halley complained about noise; later in the evening, a brick, rock and large lightbulb were lobbed over the eight-foot outdoor fence and into the crowd. Although several partygoers told police which direction the objects had come from, no one saw who'd thrown them. Gomez's partner, James Packard-Gomez, believed the projectiles came from Halley and Dale O'Quinn's adjoining back yard and confronted the men, resulting in fisticuffs and three arrests.

Channing Phillips, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, had no comment on the reasons for dropping the charges against Halley and O'Quinn, but confirmed that the assault case against David Rahnemoon (a friend of Gomez) was still pending.

Packard-Gomez said his attorney is exploring the possibility of a civil suit. "Our justice system never ceases to amaze me," he said.

Surreal Estate

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Buyer: Howard Wolfson

Price: $1.32 million

Details: After years of splitting time between here and N.Y.C., Hillary Clinton's communications guru is putting down serious roots in Woodley Park with this three-bedroom 1930 brick-and-stone rowhouse. Last month's purchase ended a house-hunting drama for Wolfson, wife Terri McCullough (who runs Nancy Pelosi's office) and their 2-year-old daughter -- another home they were about to buy burned down; they briefly toyed with renting David Plouffe's place when he moved to Chicago to run Barack Obama's campaign.