A Perry Mason moment in the Microsoft vs. Google executive hire debacle? The Seattle PI has some more details on the back and forth court case over the hiring of Kai-Fu Lee.

In a declaration filed with the court, Lee recalled a conversation in which, he said, Gates warned him that Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer would sue if Lee went to Google, becoming the highest-ranking Microsoft employee to do so. “We need to do this to stop Google,” Lee’s declaration quoted Gates as telling him.

The article also cites that Dr. Lee was paid three million dollars since 2000. Not a bad compensation package, so I’m guessing it wasn’t money that made Dr. Lee jump ship.

What Gates allegedly told Dr. Lee doesn’t change my original opinion. Regardless of who is wrong or right, this case is bad news. Microsoft should get out of court, quickly. Odds are that they won’t.