US to settle scientist's anthrax lawsuit

US to settle scientist's anthrax lawsuit

ap.google.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has agreed to pay $5.8 million to settle a lawsuit with former Army scientist Steven Hatfill, who was named as a person of interest in the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Hatfill claimed the Justice Department violated his privacy rights by speaking with reporters about the case.

Settlement documents were filed in federal court Monday. Both sides have agreed to the deal, according to the documents, and as soon as they are signed, the case will be dismissed.

The deal requires the Justice Department to pay $2.825 million dollars up front and buy Hatfill a $3 million annuity that will pay him $150,000 each year for 20 years.

"The United States does not admit to any violation of the Privacy Act and continues to deny all liability in connection with Dr. Hatfill's claims," Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said in response to the settlement.

Five people were killed and 17 sickened by anthrax that was mailed to lawmakers on Capitol Hill and members of the news media in New York and Florida just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

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They really railroaded this guy with that whole person of interest thing. He may or may not have been guilty but he deserved his day in court, not being flayed alive using the media as knives.

It reminds me of the whole Richard Jewell affair. He was severely abused before the media too before they figured out who actually did it.

And we all know how that ended up, Jewell, an innocent man, committed suicide because he was found "guilty" without a trial.

ap.google.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Yeah, I recall when this case was still in the media. Total bull#, in my opinion, and the man deserves every red cent.

Hm. Ft. Detrick anthrax was sent to journalists and senators who were not supportive of the Patriot Act. That's a fact. Surmise what you will. I don't know if Hatfill was involved or not, but my guess is that he has information that would help the investigation. And just how is that investigation going, anyway? Add this to BCCI, Promis, PTech, etc.. When an investigation drags on for half a decade or more, it isn't an investigation anymore. It's an institution.

Interesting, this settlement. About the only thing they ever had on Hatfill was a blood hound tracking a scent from an envelope. This was curious, but nothing else ever came up in searches. Hatfill could either explain or verify anything else.

I wonder if it happened today if Hatfill would have been tortured for information? Seriously.

Despite the 1969 executive order signed by Nixon to get rid of the US bioweapons program and the signing of the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, the US and other nations continued research, either in secret or working within loopholes and lack of verification protocols.

So, without a trial (of anyone!) we'll never know the why of this particular attack. Was it an individual or government sponsored (hence, no trial)? We might be encouraged to fear a foreign enemy, but with stockpiles of anthrax and other diseases (like West Nile Virus) being worked on for resistance, etc., we might have ourselves to fear, too.

Since, with all of the resources of the government available, they still haven't pegged this on anyone, terrorist or American, I can't help but feel that it was a government act to begin with, not to intimadate journalists or those opposed to the patriot act, but to increase the fear level in this country (as if it wasn't high enough at the time already) as a prelude to the snowball campaign to invade Iraq. Remember all of the terrorist levels they cried wolf with? same sort of thing.

Wouldn't surprise me if he is guilty and this "privacy violation" settlement is masked as a payment for his services in terrorism and fear propagating.

reply to post by grover


Richard Jewell didn't commit suicide. I met him in 2003.
He had seemingly gotten over the railroad job done to him.
He had lost weight and was very professional.
He died last year.
Wiki

Jewell suffered from diabetes, severe heart disease and kidney disease, which contributed to his death on August 29, 2007 from natural causes, aged 44.

[edit on 28-6-2008 by Clearskies]

reply to post by Clearskies


My mistake, I had heard that he had. Sorry about the disinfo. mea cupola and all that.

Still the man got screwed by the rush to judgement big time.

[edit on 28-6-2008 by grover]