Steven Hatfill 860569 222886278 2008-07-01T16:21:25Z PerlKnitter 377591 Corrected $$ amount in header to match below. {{outdated}} <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:4188214.jpg|thumb|]] --> '''Steven Jay Hatfill''' (b. [[October 24]], [[1953]]) is an American [[physician]], [[virology|virologist]] and [[biological weapon|bio-weapon]]s expert. The [[United States Department of Justice|US Department of Justice]] identified the former government scientist as a "[[person of interest]]" in its investigation of the [[2001 anthrax attacks]]. [[FBI]] raids on his home were well attended by [[journalists]] and consequently, several news outlets speculated that Hatfill was at one time the likely suspect for the attacks. He later sued the government for ruining his reputation, a case which the government settled for [[US$]]5.8 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/washington/28hatfill.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin |title=Scientist Is Paid Millions by U.S. in Anthrax Suit |first=Scott |last=Shane |coauthors=Eric Lichtblau |publisher=The New York Times |date=2008-06-28}}</ref> ==Biography== ===Youth and education=== Hatfill was born in [[St. Louis, Missouri]], and graduated from [[Mattoon Senior High School]], [[Mattoon, Illinois]] (1971), and [[Southwestern College (Kansas)|Southwestern College]] in [[Winfield, Kansas]] (1975), where he studied [[biology]]. During college he took a year off and worked with a [[Methodist]] medical missionary in [[Kapanga]], [[Zaire]]. (His mentor was Dr. [[Glenn Eschtruth]], whose daughter Caroline he later married and [[divorce]]d.) Hatfill served as an enlisted soldier in the [[U.S. Army]] in the late 1970s. (In 1999, he would tell a journalist during an interview that he had been a "captain in the [[U.S. Army Special Forces|U.S. Special Forces]]", but in a subsequent investigation the Army stated that he had never served with the Special Forces<ref>[[Richard Preston|Preston, Richard]] (2002), ''[[The Demon in the Freezer]]'', New York: Random House, pp 206-7.</ref>.) Hatfill then settled in [[Rhodesia]] (now [[Zimbabwe]]) where his claimed military associations included work with the United States Army's [[Institute for Military Assistance]], the [[C Squadron 22 (Rhodesian) SAS|Rhodesian SAS]], and the [[Selous Scouts]]. He stayed on to study medicine (1978-84) at the [[University of Zimbabwe Medical School|Godfrey Huggins Medical School]] <ref>[http://www.btinternet.com/~zimdocs/index.html Zimbabwe Medical Graduates Worldwide]</ref> in Salisbury (now [[Harare]]), graduating (after failing in 1983) in 1984. In that year he also took a board certification in [[hematological pathology]] from [[South Africa]]. The South African government recruited him to be medical officer on a one-year (1986) tour of duty in Antarctica. He then served (1987-1990) as an Emergency Medical Officer at the [[Conradie General Hospital]], [[Cape Town, South Africa]]. A medical residency (1991-93) at the [[University of Stellenbosch]], South Africa, resulted in a Master's Degree in Medicine and board certification in [[hematopathology]]. Hatfill later claimed to have a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] degree in [[molecular cell biology|molecular cellular biology]] from [[Rhodes University]] in [[South Africa]], as well as completion of a post-doctoral (sic) fellowship (1994-95) at Oxford University in England and three [[master's degree]]s (in [[microbial genetics]], [[biochemistry|medical biochemistry]], and [[experimental pathology]]). Some of Hatfill's credentials have been questioned. During a later investigation, officials at Rhodes University insisted that he had never been awarded a Ph.D. from their institution <ref>Preston, ''Op. cit.'', pp 207-8.</ref>. On 11 March 2007, Hatfill's lawyer Tom Connolly <ref>[http://www.harriswiltshire.com/whoweare.aspx?menu=1&seccionIzq=52&seccionIzqImage=55&seccionCen=53&seccionDer=54Thomas G. Connolly]</ref> (in his lawsuit against the former [[Attorney General]] of the United States [[John Ashcroft]] and the [[FBI]]) admitted that his client had "Puffed on his resume. Absolutely. Forged a diploma. Yes, that's true."<ref name="cbsnews">[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/09/60minutes/main2552906_page4.shtml Tables Turned In Anthrax Probe]</ref> ===The anthrax attacks=== Hatfill's "post-doctoral" appointments included one (1997) at the [[National Institutes of Health]] in Bethesda, MD. He subsequently worked (1997-99) as a civilian researcher at the [[United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases]] (USAMRIID), the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]]'s medical research institute for [[biological warfare]] (BW) defense at [[Fort Detrick]], Frederick, [[Maryland|MD]]. There he studied, under a [[United States National Research Council|National Research Council]] fellowship, new drug treatments for the [[Ebola virus]] and became a specialist in BW defense. In January 1999 Hatfill transferred to a "consulting job" at [[Science Applications International Corporation]] (SAIC), which has a "sprawling campus" in nearby McLean. The corporation did work for a multitude of federal agencies. Many projects were classified, and SAIC's tight relationship with the CIA led to a standing one-liner: "What is SAIC spelled backwards?" </blockquote> By this time there had been a number of hoax anthrax mailings in the United States. Hatfill and his collaborator, SAIC vice president Joseph Soukup, now commissioned William C Patrick, retired head of the old US bioweapons program (who had also been a mentor of Hatfill) to write a report on the possibilities of terrorist anthrax mailing attacks. Barbara Hatch Rosenberg (director of the Federation of American Scientists' biochem weapons working group in 2002) said that the report was commissioned "under a CIA contract to SAIC". However, SAIC said Hatfill and Soukup commissioned it internally — there was no outside client. The resulting report, dated February 1999, was subsequently seen as a "blueprint" for the [[2001 anthrax attacks]]. Amongst other things, it suggested the maximum amount of anthrax powder - 2.5 grams - that could be put in an envelope without making a suspicious bulge. The quantity in the envelope sent to Senator Tom Daschle in October 2001 was 2 grams. After the attacks, the report drew the attention of the FBI, and led to their investigation of Patrick and Hatfill.<ref>William J Broad, "Terror Anthrax Linked to Type Made by U.S.", ''New York Times'', 3 Dec. 2001; Barbara Hatch Rosenberg (director of the Federation of American Scientists' biochem weapons working group), "[http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/libertystrikesback/Rosenberg.html Analysis of the Anthrax Attacks]" (copy); Guy Gugliotta and Dan Eggen, "[http://www.ph.ucla.edu/EPI/bioter/biowarfareexpertsques.html Biological Warfare Experts Questioned in Anthrax Probe]", <I>Washington Post</I>, June 28, 2002 (UCLA copy); Brian Ross, "[http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130193&page=1&ROS=true Blueprint for Anthrax Attack]", ABC News online, 27 June 2002; Marilyn W Thompson, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A49717-2003Sep9?language=printer The Pursuit of Steven Hatfill]", ''Washington Post'', 14 Sept. 2003, p.W06.)</ref> Hatfill later went to work at [[Pennington Biomedical Research Center]] in [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana|LA]]. In September 2001 SAIC was commissioned by the Pentagon to create a replica of a mobile WMD "laboratory", alleged to have been used by Saddam. The Pentagon claimed the trailer was to be used as a training aide for teams seeking weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Hatfill has maintained that he is innocent of any involvement in the [[2001 anthrax attacks|2001 anthrax letter attacks]] and is suing the government for compensation for the damage he claims has been inflicted on his professional reputation and employment prospects<ref>[http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/Docket.html anthraxinvestigation.com, Docket.html]</ref>. His lawyer, Victor M. Glasberg <ref>[http://www.lawyers.com/Virginia/Alexandria/Victor-M.-Glasberg-and-Associates-1726419-f.html Victor M. Glasberg & Associates]</ref>, stated: "Steve's life has been devastated by a drumbeat of innuendo, implication and speculation. We have a frightening public attack on an individual who, guilty or not, should not be exposed to this type of public opprobrium based on speculation." <ref>[http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/scientistsdeniesroleanthrax.html Ex-Army Scientist Denies Role in Anthrax Attacks]</ref> In an embarrassing incident, FBI agents trailing Hatfill in a motor vehicle ran over his foot when he attempted to approach them in May, 2003. Police responding to the incident did not cite the driver, but issued Hatfill a citation for "walking to create a hazard." <ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/05/19/hatfill/ Hatfill ticketed in altercation with FBI agent]</ref> He and his attorneys fought the ticket, but, after listening for nearly a half-hour to the officer who issued the citation and to Hatfill's attorneys, a hearing officer upheld the ticket and ordered Hatfill to pay the requisite $5 fine. <ref>[http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/Bioter/scientistround.html Scientist Loses Latest Round]</ref> ===60 Minutes Interview=== Hatfill's lawyer, Tom Connolly, was featured in a [[CBS News]] ''[[60 Minutes]]'' interview about the anthrax incidents on March 11, 2007.<ref name="cbsnews"/> In the interview it was revealed that Hatfill forged a Ph.D Degree certificate. "It is true. It is true that he has puffed on his resume. Absolutely," Connolly acknowledged. "Forged a diploma. Yes, that's true." He went on to state, "Listen, if puffing on your resume made you the anthrax killer, then half this town should be suspect." ''[[The New York Times]]'' stated in their paper that Hatfill had obtained an anti-anthrax medicine ([[ciprofloxacin]]) immediately prior to the anthrax mailings. Connolly explained, "Before the attacks he had surgery. So yes, he's on Cipro. But the fuller truth is in fact he was on Cipro because a doctor gave it to him after sinus surgery". Hatfill had previously said the antibiotic was for a lingering sinus infection. <ref>[http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/pursuithatfill.html The Pursuit of Steven Hatfill]</ref> The omission in the ''Times''' article, of the reason why he had been taking Cipro, is one reason Hatfill sued the newspaper. The newspaper won a summary judgment ruling, in early 2007, squelching the libel suit that had been filed by Steven Hatfill against it and columnist Nicholas Kristof. <ref>[http://www.law.com/jsp/ihc/PubArticleIHC.jsp?id=1177059862981 Newspaper of Record Involved in Extraordinary Cases]</ref> ==Lawsuits== ===Hatfill v. John Ashcroft, et al.=== On the 26th of August 2003, Hatfill filed a [[lawsuit]]<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/08/26/lawsuit.hatfill/ Anthrax 'person of interest' sues Ashcroft, FBI]</ref> against the [[Attorney General of the United States]] [[John Ashcroft]], the [[United States Department of Justice]], DOJ employees Timothy Beres and Daryl Darnell, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], FBI Supervisory Special Agent Van Harp and an unknown number of FBI agents.<ref>[http://fl1.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/hatfill/hatfillash82603cmp.pdf Steven J. Hatfill, M.D. v. Attorney General John Ashcroft<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On March 30, 2007, US District Judge [[Reggie Walton]] issued an order warning Hatfill that he could lose his civil lawsuit over the leaks if he did not compel journalists to name their sources. He gave Hatfill until April 16 to decide whether to press the journalists to give up their sources.<ref>[http://www.nysun.com/article/51808 Judge Urges Hatfill To Compel Outing of Sources]</ref> On April 16, Hatfill gave notice that he would "proceed with discovery to attempt to obtain the identity of the alleged source or sources at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who allegedly provided information to news reporters concerning the criminal investigation of Dr. Hatfill.”<ref>http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/Hatfill95.pdf</ref> On April 27, 2007, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, federal prosecutors wrote that Steven Hatfill had overstepped court orders allowing him to compel testimony from reporters whom he had already questioned and had instead "served a new round of subpoenas" on organizations "that he failed to question during the discovery period." During the first round of depositions, Hatfill subpoenaed six reporters: [[Michael Isikoff]] and Daniel Klaidman of [[Newsweek]], [[Brian Ross (journalist)|Brian Ross]] of [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], Allan Lengel of [[The Washington Post]], Jim Stewart of [[CBS]], and Toni Locy of [[USA Today]]. Hatfill now has subpoenaed eight news organizations, including three that he didn’t name before: The [[New York Times]] ([[Nicolas Kristof]], David Johnson, [[William Broad]], Kate Zernike, [[Judith Miller (journalist)|Judith Miller]], Scott Shane, and Frank D. Roylance), [[The Baltimore Sun]] (Gretchen Parker and Curt Anderson), and the [[Associated Press]]. Subpoenas for [[The Washington Post|Washington Post]] writers Marilyn W. Thompson, David Snyder, Guy Gugliotta, Tom Jackman, Dan Eggen and Carol D. Loenning, and for Mark Miller of [[Newsweek]], are now included. The Justice Department responded to Hatfill's subpoenas, saying that they went too far. “The court should reject this attempt to expand discovery,” prosecutors wrote.<ref>[http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2007/05/the_medias_stra.html The Media's Strange Ally]</ref> In a status conference on Friday 11th January 2008, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered the attorneys for the government and for Hatfill to seek mediation over the next two months. According to the Scheduling Order<ref>http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/Hatfill146.pdf</ref>, the parties will be in mediation from January 14 until May 14 2008. The prospects of a mediated settlement notwithstanding, Walton said he expected that a trial on the lawsuit could begin in December. Afterward, Hatfill's attorney Mark A. Grannis said: "The court has set a schedule for bringing this case to trial this year, and we're very pleased at the prospect that Dr. Hatfill will finally have his day in court." On [[March 7]], [[2008]], Toni Locy of USA Today was ordered to personally pay contempt of court fines of up to $5,000 a day which begin the following Tuesday, until she identifies her sources.<ref>{{cite news | first=Pete | last=Yost | coauthors= | title=Anthrax Reporter Held in Contempt | date=2008-03-07 | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | url =http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJhE-Bz_9rMHgODoDScyBaC-YIvwD8V910K00 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-08 | language = }}</ref> On [[June 27]], [[2008]] a settlement was announced in which the Justice Department has agreed to pay $5.8 million to settle the lawsuit in which Hatfill claimed the Justice Department violated his privacy rights by speaking with reporters about the case.<ref> url =http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-hatfill0627,0,4041368.story</ref> ===Hatfill v. ''The New York Times''=== In July 2004, Hatfill filed a [[lawsuit]] against [[The New York Times Company]] and [[Nicholas D. Kristof]]. <ref>[http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/Hatfill-v-Kristof.html Hatfill vs Kristof & The New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In a sealed motion <ref name="pdf">http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/statesec/nyt122906.pdf</ref> on [[December 29]], [[2006]], the New York Times argued that the classification restrictions imposed on the case were tantamount to an assertion of the state secrets privilege. Times attorneys cited the case law on state secrets to support their argument that the case should be dismissed. The "state secrets" doctrine, they said, "precludes a case from proceeding to trial when national security precludes a party from obtaining evidence that is... necessary to support a valid defense. Dismissal is warranted in this case because the Times has been denied access to such evidence, specifically documents and testimony concerning the work done by plaintiff [Hatfill] on classified government projects relating to bioweapons, including anthrax." A redacted copy <ref name="pdf"/>of the [[December 29]], [[2006]] New York Times Memorandum of Law in Support of Defendant's Motion for an Order Dismissing the Complaint Under the "State Secrets" Doctrine was obtained by Secrecy News. <ref>[http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2007/01/the_state_secrets_doctrine_and.html The State Secrets Doctrine and the Hatfill Case]</ref> Attorneys for Dr. Hatfill filed a sealed response on [[January 12]], [[2007]] in opposition to the motion for dismissal on state secrets grounds. A redacted copy <ref>[http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/statesec/hatfill011207.pdf Hatfill v. New York Times: Plaintiff's Opposition to Motion to Dismiss on State Secrets Grounds<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> of their opposition has been made available by Secrecy News.<ref>[http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2007/01/more_on_state_secrets_and_the.html More on State Secrets and the Hatfill Case]</ref> On [[January 12]], [[2007]], a judge dismissed a [[lawsuit]] filed by Hatfill against ''[[The New York Times]]''. <ref>[http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/01/federal-judge-dismisses-anthrax.php Federal judge dismisses anthrax defamation suit against New York Times]</ref> On [[January 30]], [[2007]], Judge Hilton's order dismissing the Hatfill v The New York Times was made public, along with a Memorandum Opinion explaining his ruling. The Order: <ref>http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/Hatfill87.pdf</ref> The Opinion: Kenneth A. Richieri, Vice President and General Counsel of the [[New York Times]] scored what he called a "very satisfying win" at the beginning of 2007 in the Eastern District of Virginia. The newspaper won a summary judgment ruling squelching a libel suit that had been filed by anthrax poisoning "person of interest" Steven Hatfill against it and columnist Nicholas Kristof. <ref>[http://www.law.com/jsp/ihc/PubArticleIHC.jsp?id=1177059862981 Newspaper of Record Involved in Extraordinary Cases]</ref> ===Hatfill v. Foster=== [[Donald Foster (professor)|Donald Foster]], an expert in forensic linguistics, advised the FBI during the investigation of the anthrax attacks. He later wrote an article for ''[[Vanity Fair magazine|Vanity Fair]]'' about his investigation of Hatfill. In the [[October 2003]] article Foster described how he had tried to match up Hatfill's travels with the postmarks on the anthrax letters, and analyzed old interviews and an unpublished novel by Hatfill about a bioterror attack on the United States. Foster wrote that "When I lined up Hatfill's known movements with the postmark locations of reported biothreats, those hoax anthrax attacks appeared to trail him like a vapor cloud," <ref>[http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/Bioter/messageanthrax.html The Message in the Anthrax]</ref> Hatfill subsequently sued Donald Foster, [[Condé Nast Publications]], [[Vassar College]], and [[The Reader's Digest Association]]. The suit sought $10 million in damages, claiming [[defamation]]. <ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6152515 Hatfill strikes back in anthrax case] on [[MSNBC]]</ref> ''The Reader's Digest'' published a condensed version of the article in [[December 2003]]. The lawyers delayed bringing the Hatfill v Foster lawsuit to court because "the parties are close to finalizing the settlement".<ref>http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/Hatfill88.pdf</ref> On February 27, 2007, The New York Sun reported "'''Hatfill Settles $10M Libel Lawsuit'''"<ref>[http://www.nysun.com/article/49333 Hatfill Settles $10M Libel Lawsuit]</ref> ==References== <div class=references-small> *Burger, Marlene, [http://www.mg.co.za/articledirect.aspx?area=mg_flat&articleid=7349 ''"Murky past of a US bio-warrior"''], [[Mail & Guardian]], (date disputed; URL retrieved [[September 11]], [[2006]]). *Bright, Martin, and Cooper, Simon, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/anthrax/story/0,,968228,00.html ''"Anthrax suspect lied to get jobs"''], [[The Observer]], [[June 1]], [[2003]] (URL retrieved [[September 11]], [[2006]]). *Bright, Martin, and Cooper, Simon, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/anthrax/story/0,,968229,00.html ''"Walter Mitty life of anthrax terror suspect"''], [[The Observer]], [[June 1]], [[2003]] (URL retrieved [[September 11]], [[2006]]). *Cooper, Simon [http://luigiwarren.blogspot.com/2005/12/just-some-asshole-who-has-too-much-to.html "The Lesson of Steve Hatfill"], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_(magazine)]. *Foster, Don, [http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/Bioter/messageanthrax.html ''"The Message In The Anthrax"''], [[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]], pp. 180-200, [[October 1]], [[2003]] (URL retrieved [[September 11]], [[2006]]). *http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/vforum/02/anthrax_media/index.html Video of [[Columbia University]] School of Journalism Panel Discussion of Hatfill Investigation and [[Trial by Media]] *Tell, David [http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/Bioter/huntinghatfill.html '"The Hunting of Steven J. Hatfill"']. The Weekly Standard Sept 16th 2002 (URL retrieved [[November 11]], [[2006]]). *Weaver, Tony, [http://www.iol.co.za/?click_id=13&art_id=ct2002070110581920A536231&set_id=1 ''"AWB sympathiser quizzed over anthrax killings"]'', Daily News (South Africa), [[July 1]], [[2002]] (URL retrieved [[September 11]], [[2006]]). *[[Peter McAleese]], [http://luigiwarren.blogspot.com/2006/02/steve-had-righteously-decided-such.html] His autobiography "No Mean Soldier" [http://www.amazon.com/No-Mean-Soldier-Ultimate-Professional/dp/0304356840] contains an account of Hatfill taking a "short-cut" in [[Rhodesia]]. </div> ==Footnotes== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://irish-nationalism.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2082] Hatfill's background in relation to the 2001 anthrax attacks *[http://cryptome.quintessenz.org/mirror/hatfill.pdf] "Questionable (Quite Possibly Unsavory) Past – Ideal Fall-Guy for the Anthrax Incidents" * [http://www.anthraxinvestigation.com/hatfill.pdf] One of Hatfill's "puffed-up" resumés * [http://www.anthraxattacks.net] A Web Site that examines Hatfill's background in relation to the 2001 anthrax attacks * [http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/8/19/201601.shtml] Supportive of Hatfill and calls the FBI investigation of Hatfill a "crucifixion." * [http://jewishdefense.org/hatfill] A Web Site that labeled Hatfill "The Bioevangelist". The author (A. J. Weberman) makes the challenge "There is a five pound glatt kosher pastrami sandwich on two thick slices of kosher rye bread with an entire jar of deli-mustard on it waiting for Pat Clawson if he can convince Hatfill to sue us" * [http://luigiwarren.blogspot.com] A Blog that contains insightful archival and up-to-date information on the POI {{DEFAULTSORT:Hatfill, Steven}} [[Category:1953 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American biologists]] [[Category:Virologists]] [[Category:2001 anthrax attacks]] [[Category:People from St. Louis, Missouri]] [[Category:Biological warfare|Hatfill, Steven]]