Posted Jan 24th 2009 2:55PM by TMZ Staff

The initial demand in the John Travolta extortion case was $25 million, sources connected with the investigation tell TMZ.

Here's what we know about the allegations -- Obie Wilchcombe (a member of Parliament and former "friend" of Travolta's), former Senator Pleasant Bridgewater (she just resigned), and EMT Tarino Lightbourne made the initial demand and then began "negotiating" with Travolta's people. We're told Travolta's reps "negotiated," not to seriously entertain a payoff but instead to gather evidence against the trio.

Sources say "the negotiations" were in the $10 to $20 million range, with Wilchcombe, Bridgewater, and Lightbourne eventually saying they would settle for something in the middle.

Furthermore sources tell us, all three would have received a cut, and Wilchcombe would have received "a significant amount" of the loot.

Sources say Wilchcombe, who appeared on Larry King's show the night Jett died to discuss the family's grief, was "very much involved" in the alleged plot.

As we first reported the alleged plot involved the death of John's son, Jett. We do not know specifics.

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