Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Accused Biomedical Expert Accuses FBI of Unethical Procedures in Investigation.

Aired August 26, 2002 - 11:12   ET

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


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: More on the anthrax investigation. Dr. Steven Hatfill is firing back now at the FBI and Attorney General John Ashcroft. Hatfill, a biomedical expert, is called a person of interest by John Ashcroft in the anthrax investigation.
CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena joins us with more from our D.C. bureau this morning.

Good morning -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Steven Hatfill says he’s innocent. And he says the Justice Department and the FBI have violated rules of ethics and procedure in their investigation. Hatfill held a news conference over the weekend as part of an aggressive assault. Here is a bit of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN HATFILL, BIOMEDICAL RESEARCHER: I want to let my fellow Americans directly in the eye and declare to them, I am not the anthrax killer. I know nothing about the anthrax attacks. I had absolutely nothing to do with this terrible crime. My life is being destroyed by arrogant government bureaucrats who are peddling groundless innuendoes and half information.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Hatfill also produced pictures of his girlfriend's apartment, showing it somewhat disheveled, which he says were taken after FBI agents searched it. He says that she, too, has been victimized. Hatfill also produced time records which he says show that he worked between 11 and 14 hours in MacLean, Virginia, on the day that anthrax letters were mailed to Congress and various news organizations 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 voluntarily provide handwriting samples to compare with handwriting on anthrax envelopes and letters.

The Justice Department, which has described Hatfill, as you said, Carol, earlier, as a so-called “person of interest,” has not yet commented on his complaints. The FBI says it won't be commenting at all about either the complaint or the anthrax investigation in general.

Back to you.

LIN: Kelli, since Steven Hatfill has come out in such a public way, criticizing the FBI tactics, have you noticed any difference in the way the FBI is now handling him?

ARENA: Well, I can tell you that investigators, and speaking in very general terms about that investigation, say that usually when someone take the public offensive like this, it doesn't change where the investigation is headed. But, for example, sometimes you might have searches done at night rather than in the middle of the day. People are a little bit more cautious about talking to the press; but the FBI, from the very beginning, publicly has not made one reference to Steven Hatfill or anyone else. And as you know, Carol, sources have told us, that there are at least 20 so-called “people of interest” that investigators are looking at in this investigation.

And don’t forget this isn’t just the FBI that’s investigating here. You’ve had the postal inspection service side by side with the FBI right from the very beginning. And you also had many state and local law enforcement agencies that have been involved in various capacities as searches are done, and Steven Hatfill's residence is not the only residence that’s been searched. We know of at least a dozen other consensual searches that have been conducted.

So the investigation, as far as we can tell, is going forward. Some techniques, though, may change as the spotlight continues to glare on Steven Hatfill. There you go.

LIN: Thank you very much, Kelli Arena -- the latest on that investigation.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com