Anthrax: Judge Orders Release of Hatfill Search Warrant

by Erik Larson | November 18, 2008 at 12:20 am

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Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has ordered the Justice Dept. to make public the search warrants used to raid the homes of Steven Hatfill and his girlfriend. Hatfill was never charged, and after he sued the DoJ, they settled for $5.8 million, and shortly after blamed the attacks on Bruce Ivins, with an extremely flimsy circumstantial case that the blogosphere immediately discredited. Reportedly, Grassley, Holt and others on Capitol Hill are investigating.

A federal judge on Monday ordered the Justice Department to release the information it used to convince the courts to let it search the home of a former Army scientist who was exonerated in the 2001 anthrax attacks.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said the government's search warrants and supporting documents relating to former Army scientist Stephen Hatfill and his then-girlfriend Peck Chegne should be made public.

The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times asked for the materials to be released, contending the public has a right to know why investigators wanted to search Hatfill's home and on what basis the courts agreed to allow those searches.

"The anthrax investigation was one of the most complex, time-consuming and expensive investigations in recent history," Lamberth said. "As a result, the American citizens have a legitimate interest in observing and understanding how and why the investigation progressed in the way that it did."

Five people were killed and 17 sickened when anthrax was mailed to Capitol Hill lawmakers and members of the media just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.