Yes, there are LOTS of lessons to be learned from this.
People endlessly blame the FBI, but the facts show that the leaking of information about Dr. Hatill was mostly done by lawyers in the Department of Justice. Attorney General Ashcroft's improper statements that Dr. Hatfill was a "person of interest" didn't come from the FBI. It was a statement from the head of the DOJ.
Hidden withing ZACKandPOOK's endless post is information which shows that the FBI tried to stop the leaks by stopping the leakers. In one case, they caused the "leak" of ridiculously FALSE information that bloodhounds had gotten Dr. Hatfill's scent off the anthrax letters. They told it in confidence to the top lawyer in the Washington Office of the DOJ, and that lawyer promptly leaked it to Newsweek. That lawyer is now out of the DOJ.
But I think it's also important to realize that the Hatfill case almost certainly needed to be resolved before the FBI could arrest the actual culprit. If they didn't, they'd have to stand up in court in the Hatfill lawsuit and explain why they harrassed Dr. Hatfill while they were all but certain that someone else was the culprit.
There are lots of lessons to be learned here, and it isn't yet over. Hatfill's appeal in his lawsuit against the New York Times is still pending.
And, of course, the actual culprit still hasn't been arrested.
The leakers, their accomplices in the press, and a handful of conspiracy theorists deprived Dr. Hatfill of his professional reputation and the employment he could otherwise have expected. As a result of the media circus they created and sustained, Dr. Hatfill must now carry on his scientific work largely independently. This settlement will help him to do so.
There is no basis for Ed’s suggestion that the documentary evidence or my commentary supports his view regarding how the bloodhounds were used. It’s just his theory that is not supported by the expert who testified at deposition regarding use of the dogs — and is contradicted by that testimony. I don’t recall that he link the deposition even though I recall giving it to him.