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Washington, D.C. --- Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today requested Chairmen of House of Representatives committees with oversight responsibility to conduct hearings on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s failure to determine the source of the 2001 anthrax attacks that paralyzed the nation, commerce, and the federal government.
“Over the last few months, I have attempted both individually and collectively (with Senator Charles Grassley and others) to secure a briefing on the progress the FBI has made in investigating these terrorist attacks,” wrote Holt. “Yet the FBI has stonewalled each request for additional briefings or information.”
“The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation have openly asserted their belief that Congress should be kept in the dark on this vital national security issue,” wrote Holt. “Mr. Chairman, I ask for your help in determining why we have been unable to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice. It is time to provide effective oversight of the Department of Justice and the FBI.”
The 2001 anthrax attacks originated from a mailbox in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District and affected the lives and livelihoods of New Jerseyans. Rep. Holt’s own Congressional office in Washington, D.C. was shut down after it was found to be contaminated with anthrax.
On September 27, 2006, Rep. Holt formally requested that the FBI brief Congress on the status of the investigation, and was denied. A second request on October 2, 2006 also received a perfunctory and dismissive reply. On December 11, 2006, thirty-two bipartisan members of the House and Senate joined Rep. Holt and Senator Grassley in requesting that Attorney General Gonzales “direct the FBI to provide Congress with a comprehensive briefing on the status of the five year-old anthrax investigation.” Once again, this request was denied.
In response to the Department of Justice’s most recent refusal to provide Congress an update on the status of the five year-old investigation, Rep. Holt requested four committee chairmen and one subcommittee chairmen hold oversight hearings:
• Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform;
• Rep. John Tierney (D-MA), House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs;
• Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), House Committee on the Judiciary;
• Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), House Committee on Homeland Security;
• Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Despite conducting an investigation that FBI openly acknowledges is “one of the most complex in the history of law enforcement” with 17 full-time investigators and 10 postal inspectors who have conducted 9,100 interviews, 67 searches, and issued 6,000 grand jury subpoenas, the FBI seems to believe that they are outside the scope of Congressional oversight.
“The FBI’s refusal to brief Members of Congress raises serious concerns about the status of this investigation and whether it is a true priority of the FBI, which appears to be no closer to solving this act of bioterrorism than they were five years ago,” wrote Holt.
A copy of the letters is available at http://holt.house.gov/pdf/Hearing_Request_Letters.pdf
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