Casey Anthony’s Lawyer: Jose Baez Thanks ABC News For Paying $200,000 For Defense

Jose Baez, the lead attorney for Casey Anthony, admitted publicly for the first time details about ABC News' controversial payment of $200,000 to his client Anthony.

In an interview with PBS's Frontline that aired on Tuesday, Baez acknowledged that he and his client were able to mount a successful defense only from the money his client received from ABC News.

ABC News paid $200,000 to Anthony's family only to gain exclusive rights to photos of Anthony and her two-year-old daughter Caylee.

She had photographs of her and her child and a network paid us $200,000 so we could mount a proper defense, Baez said.

While speaking on PBS' Frontline, Baez said that the trial cost around $275,000 to put together and without the money given by ABC News, his team would not have been able to beat the murder rap.

During and after Anthony's trial, several people raised concern over TV networks offering money to Anthony. They also argued that the 26-year-old America's most hated woman should not be allowed to make profits from the death of her two-year-old daughter.

ABC News paid a large sum of money to Anthony for rights of photos in 2008. However, the network came under fire for paying Anthony, so it changed its policy and is no longer licensing material in exchange for interviews.

Last year, the tot mom was acquitted of the murder of her daughter, but was convicted on four counts of giving wrong information to investigators during the trial.

After the trial got over, Baez resigned from her legal team. Although it was not clear why he resigned, there were rumors of Anthony and Baez having a falling out after Anthony's private video diaries surfaced online, TMZ reported.

But according to NY Post, Anthony was planning on firing him first because she thought he was too focused on the limelight!

She thinks he's using her name as a meal ticket, a source said.