Efforts Continue for FBI Amerithrax Briefing

EFFORTS CONTINUE FOR FBI AMERITHRAX BRIEFING

Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Rush Holt today said that they sent a letter to the Attorney General asking for a briefing on the Amerithrax case. The letter was signed by 33 members of Congress.

"We're seeing more and more agencies thwart the Constitutional responsibility of Congress. Unfortunately, the FBI's refusal to provide briefings to Congress following the 2001 anthrax attacks appears to be the rule rather than the exception," Grassley said. "In one of the most important terrorism investigations ever undertaken by the FBI, it is unbelievable to me that members of Congress, some who were targets of the anthrax attacks, haven't been briefed for years."

"The FBI's refusal to brief Congress on this matter is unprecedented and inexcusable," said Rep. Holt. "The anthrax attacks harmed the heath and livelihoods of my constituents and paralyzed the government and national commerce. All Americans deserve to know why this five-year investigation has made so little progress."

The letter comes on the heels of two other attempts by Grassley and Holt to get information about the FBI's handling of the five-year-old Amerithrax investigation. In response to their previous requests, the Justice Department and the FBI announced a blanket policy against all Congressional briefings on the matter.

The members write: "…Congress cannot be cut-off from detailed information about the conduct of one of the largest investigations in FBI history. That information is vital in order to fulfill its Constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch."

Here is a copy of the letter . It can also be found on Grassley's website, http://grassley.senate.gov and Holt's website at www.holt.house.gov .

December 11, 2006

The Honorable Alberto Gonzales
Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20535

Dear Attorney General Gonzales:

As you know, the Department of Justice and the FBI recently refused a number of Congressional requests for information regarding its five-year-old investigation into the 2001 Anthrax attacks. The FBI also announced a blanket prohibition on any further anthrax briefings, citing concerns about alleged public disclosures of sensitive information following previous briefings on the case. This is an inappropriate response to legitimate Congressional oversight requests.

Given recent revelations that FBI agents were the anonymous sources for New York Times stories casting suspicion on "person of interest," Stephen Hatfill, it appears that the FBI may itself be responsible for the inappropriate disclosures of sensitive case information. Whether on Capitol Hill or within the FBI, individuals who make inappropriate disclosures should be held accountable. However, as an institution, Congress cannot be cut-off from detailed information about the conduct of one of the largest investigations in FBI history. That information is vital in order to fulfill its Constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch.

Therefore, we request that you direct the FBI to provide Congress with a comprehensive briefing on the status of the five-year-old anthrax investigation.

Sincerely,
Chuck Grassley Rush Holt
Arlen Specter George Miller
Charles Schumer Diane Watson
Dianne Feinstein Charles Gonzalez
Russell Feingold Gary Ackerman
Mark Dayton Frank Pallone, Jr.
Daniel Akaka Barbara Lee
Jim Bunning Carolyn Maloney
Kit Bond Jim McGovern
Trent Lott Chris Smith
Frank Lautenberg Dennis Kucinich
Edward Kennedy Christopher Shays
Mark Pryor Donald Payne
Robert Menendez Raul Grijalva
Michael Honda
Lynn Woolsey
Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Sam Farr
John Larson

http://grassley.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=5229&Month=12&Year=2006