That the static charge on the copiers would attract anthrax spores sounds like a more reasonable proposition to me than spores being spread by the copy paper. As pointed, the reams of copy paper are wrapped and sealed -- and the wrapping isn't placed in the copier. Moreover, wouldn't only the top packages on the storage racks be exposed to the spores?
In any event, what we're really looking for is probably referenced in these sentences:
"FBI investigators, working with scientists from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, removed nearly 5,000 pieces of evidence during their search of the building."The property seizures included more than 800 letters tainted with anthrax as well as shelves and folders from AMI's mail room.
5,000 pieces of evidence...including 800 letters. How the anthrax was spread is an incidental issue, compared to how it came to arrive...
Note that, having taken almost a year to get around to searching the building, they can now plausibly spin the investigation out for many more months without providing us an answer, and still pull a rabbit out of a hat should it be deemed necessary to do so down the road. This is a play in three acts, remember...
No. 2 is: Why did STEVENS get the lethal dose at AMI, leave AMI on Sept 26th for vacation, get sick on vacation and literally die while temporarily disconnected from AMI.
Sac
Yes. High speed copiers use high voltage discharges. You can smell the ozone they create in a small room. These discharges collect dust and the copier has to be cleaned periodically. Anthrax spores behave just like tiny particles of dust.
Right on, and as others have pointed out, we are talking about 20 some copiers. And 5000 items gathered as evidence [ BS Detector Vibration in my pocket].
Has anyone on this investigative team ever had an electrostatic air cleaner? Copiers have filters to keep out the dust that would be contaminating these same 20 copiers.
This anthrax was not as highly milled, and neutrally charged as the stuff that missed Daschle and Leahy, but this anthrax is probably smaller than the dust particles trapped in the filters. Air is constantly drawn in to cool these copiers (many times night and day since they are not turned off frequently).
The drum is highly charged and attracts fine carbon particles and yes this (concentrated by the intake fans) anthrax. I
But one might ask, why are we going through all this nonsense now, gathering more items of evidence than were on my last Moving Van bill of lading?
The following is a Talking Points Memo...
This anthrax will turn out to be Iraqi anthrax, and will fit perfectly with the puzzle piece of Atta asking a pharmacist for something for his bleach irritated hands and forearms. It will be the anthrax that he got from his meeting with Iraqi Intelligence. This anthrax will be tied to Iraq by DNA and generation dating analysis, as well as the material used to provent clumping and to reduce the electrostatic charge on the anthrax.