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CNN Live Today

Site of Fatal Anthrax Infection Back Under Microscope

Aired August 26, 2002 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: That is our top story this hour here on CNN, the investigation into last fall's deadly anthrax fights. The site of one of those fatal infections back under the microscope as the FBI is about to start this news conference.
Let's go right now to our Mark Potter who is standing by in Boca Raton and set the stage for us.

Hello, Mark.

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.

Well, as you said, in a few moments, about 15 minutes actually, we are expecting a news conference from the FBI, which will announce that it is going back into the AMI building today to search again for evidence of anthrax. As you know , this was the first site of the anthrax attack in this country.

In October, the building shut down; it was searched thoroughly. The workers there were tested. One man died, another became critically ill, although he has recovered. And in the time since then, the FBI says it has developed new technology for searching for this disease for this material, and it is going to go back in to try determine better how the anthrax was spread throughout the building.

The FBI says that it always believed that it came into the building through letters, perhaps two, but those letters were never found. And now they are going to go back in to see if they can determine anything else about the source or the spread of anthrax throughout that building.

Now the building has been closed since then. The AMI workers that have not at another building nearby, publishing various newspapers, including "The National Enquirer," but the building is sitting there. There is still a controversy over what to do with it. There are efforts now to try get Washington to buy the building, to use it for research and to clean it up, at great expense.

But right now, next step is that the FBI and biohazardous specialists are going to go into the building to see what they can find. We are expecting a statement from the head of the FBI office here in Miami, as well as somebody from the FBI lab as they continue on with the anthrax investigation, and the latest stage for that now is right here in Boca Raton -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right, thanks, Mark. Once that gets underway, we will go back there and check back with you later on. Carol, over to you.

LIN: On a related note, a man that the FBI calls a person of interest in the investigation is lashing out at the government's handling of the case. Biowarfare expert Steven Hatfill says he is an innocent man ruined by a rumor campaign more interested in appearances than in justice.

CNN Justice correspondent Kelli Arena joins us with more on that story.

Steven Hatfill, determined to get his side of the story out, Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is true, Carol.

For the second time in an as many weeks, Steven went before the microphone to proclaim his innocence. Hatfill produced time records which he says show that he worked between 11 and 14 hours in McLean, Virginia on the day that anthrax letters were mailed to Congress and various news organizations, which investigators believe came from New Jersey.

He even suggested that investigators test his blood to determine his exposure or immunity to anthrax, and he says that he will provide handwriting samples to compare with the anthrax envelopes and letters.

And as you mentioned earlier, Hatfill has been described by the attorney general as a person of interest in this investigation. Here is what he today say about that this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN HATFILL, BIOWARFARE EXPERT: By openly repeatedly naming me as a person of interest, Mr. Ashcroft has not only violated Justice Department regulations and guidelines, which bind him as the nation's top law enforcement official, but in my view, he has broken the 9th Commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: The Justice Department has not commented yet on Hatfill's complaint. The FBI says it will not comment at all about his complaint or the anthrax investigation in general.

Carol, back to you.

LIN: Kelli, what are the implications of a complaint? Is that like a lawsuit, and are there penalties attached?

ARENA: He would file the complaint with the Office of Professional Responsibility, which would do an in-house investigation, and then from there, determine if there is any action to be -- to take place, reprimand or administrative leave or whatever. It depends on what they find. Of course, Mr. Hatfill says, well, let's see what kind of, you know, in-house checking they will actually do. He has also filed a complaint with the counterpart over at the FBI, their ethics board as well, suggesting that they have made some ethical breeches and have not conducted the investigation fairly.

As a matter of fact, Steven Hatfill produced photographs at the press conference this weekend of his girlfriend's apartment. FBI agents had gone in with a search warrant, searching her apartment, as well as his, several weeks ago, and judging by the pictures, didn't leave it necessarily in an orderly fashion. Things were, you know, all over the place, and he says that that is how the FBI agents left her apartment, claiming that she's been victimized in this investigation as well, all because he has been deemed a so-called person of interest -- Carol.

LIN: There you go. All right, thank you very much, Kelli Arena.

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