[OutSpot]

"...Material evidence presented by the government in the OKBOMB prosecution through the testimony of Mr. Burmeister appears to be false, misleading and potentially fabricated," said the June 1, 2001, letter to Ashcroft obtained by The Associated Press. The lawyers represented several FBI lab employees, including one who sued after being fired."

"...A transcript of the deposition obtained by AP shows Justice and FBI lawyers became concerned that statements Burmeister might make would be helpful to McVeigh and Nichols, and they ordered lawyers to cut off that line of questioning. "

"We can't have him now second guess his testimony in the McVeigh case," a Justice lawyer interjected. "I mean the effect of that is to embarrass the FBI."

"...We believe that these concerns are most serious and that we are under an obligation to turn this information over to you so that you may fulfill your obligation to notify the defendants in the OKBOMB cases about these serious matters and take corrective action," the letter to Ashcroft stated. "

"Burmeister's discovery was key to the government's proof that McVeigh and Nichols had used a giant fertilizer bomb to carry out their attack. Ammonium nitrate is a key ingredient in such a bomb. "

"McVeigh's defense lawyers attacked the evidence, suggesting the ammonium nitrate, which dissolves in moisture, could not have survived the rain that fell on the Murrah site shortly after the bombing and that it might have come from contamination inside the lab. "

Mr. Burmeister should be fired immediatly along with others that were involved in this "legal blunder". (One that involved the "fast track" execution of Timothy McVeigh)

[OutSpot]

BOMSHELL = BOMBSHELL

Sorry folks (had a couple beers last night)

[FreeTheHostages]

Let me get this straight: some lawyer for some fired FBI employees writes a letter claiming SHOCKING NEW EVIDENCE of McVeigh's innocence and you buy it?

There's a word for that behavior.

[sam_paine]

except to say that the outside lawyers should have done more than send it by fax and courier.

Uh? Carrier pigeon? Candygram? What then?

[Hermann the Cherusker]

There is only one relevant question here - did McVeigh or did he not help blow up the building. I've seen nothing saying he didn't, including from him, therefore he deserved execution, irregardless of this tempest in a teapot about evidence.

[mabelkitty]

This is old news, actually.

It first came out one month before he was executed. I believe it was run around the same time they announced boxes had been found that were not presented as evidence.

Why is it considered a bombshell?

[coloradan]

Indexing

[upchuck]

Justice officials could not explain how a letter marked for urgent attention by Ashcroft on an issue that was dominating the headlines could be misrouted, except to say that the outside lawyers should have done more than send it by fax and courier.

Damned easy to say now that Tim is dead.

Or^  is he?^

[Tamzee]

Typical AP garbage.... trying to create much ado about nothing. They did the same thing with Rick Santorum, propagandizing it as "anti-gay" hate speech when he was really talking about how far to use right to privacy in legislation.

[Core_Conservative]

Oops! Too late now! Shoot - the mand was guilty anyway. I think this sounds like an attempt to discredit Mr. Ashcroft - again!

[firewalk]

bttt

[b4its2late]

Vey series!

[Fred Mertz]

The law firm that sent the letter represents several FBI lab employees, including a fired chemist who worked with Burmeister as well as Frederic Whitehurst, who trained Burmeister...

Sounds like the FBI lab is still out to make the FBI look good rather than conduct honest, scientific lab work.

[dark_lord]

There seem to be two key claims here. 1st, that maybe there was lab contamination, and that access to the lab by a cleaning crew (and a fellow chemist) did not quite match the description of the "restricted access" statement, and 2nd, the statement about the drug PETN not being used for drug purposes "anymore". However, read the following:

"You can make what you want to about who has access to the room but the key fact is that crystal was embedded with great force and that could only come from an explosion ... not contamination from some cleaning crew," he said. The lawyers' letter also stated that during his deposition, Burmeister contradicted testimony on a second matter in the McVeigh case when he testified that the chemical residue PETN found on McVeigh's clothing is "not used for drug purposes anymore." "At his deposition, Mr. Burmeister contradicted his OKBOMB testimony and admitted that PETN was 'still used for some heart medications,'" the letter to Ashcroft said.

I would say that from the above, this is all a big SO WHAT.

[Gritty]

Justice officials could not explain how a letter marked for urgent attention by Ashcroft on an issue that was dominating the headlines could be misrouted...

Simple.

How about "eight years of clinton appointees in a corrupt Reno DOJ culture adept not only at ignoring embarrassing evidence but covering for their own crimes"?

... except to say that the outside lawyers should have done more than send it by fax and courier.

Bull$h!t!

Here - in their highest profile case - shocking information (using two separate methods of delivery) is received and some secretary decides to put it on some desk pile? Sorry. That doesn't pass any smell test!

AJ Ashcroft needs to get to the bottom of this and make responsible heads roll. All of them. I'd bet anything they are "clinton heads" trying to cover up their own crimes at OKC!

[Gargantua]

Timothy McVeigh = Lee Harvey Oswald, a.k.a. "Patsy", "Dupe", "Setup", "Bowling Pin"

[Dante3]

BUMP

[RippleFire]

bump

[TankerKC]

This is one of the many reasons that I am against the death penalty.

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

This just in. Timothy McVeigh is still very much dead.

[Honcho]

Timothy McVeigh admited to the bombing. Case closed.