MAHA Heavy Hitter Strikes Back Against Attacks

After pathologist Steve Hatfill was fired from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in late October, many in the MAHA movement rallied to his defense, while others supported the ousting.

Among the latter group, Dr. Meryl Nass, an internist whose medical license was suspended in Maine in retaliation for her stance on Covid-19, said that Hatfill’s removal was justified. The New American reported on the story, and included Hatfill’s rebuttal.  

Dr. Nass, who published a Substack about the story, also offers the following in answer to Hatfill’s charges:    

1. Judge Mitchell finally issued his ruling on my appeal 4 weeks ago.  He said there were no grounds for a psych evaluation and expunged the order.

2.  My CV speaks for itself.  Why would I be hired by the World Bank and the Director of National Intelligence (among others) as a consultant on biowarfare if I was not an expert?  Why would Secretary Kennedy have me help edit three of his books and utilize my expertise?  I was invited to testify before Congress on this subject several times.

3.  Am I an expert on anthrax?  I wrote the first review article on anthrax vaccine (published in 1999) and uncovered the fact that the word’s largest anthrax epidemic, which occurred in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), was a biowarfare event:  Nass M. Anthrax Epizootic in Zimbabwe 1978-1980: Due to Deliberate Spread? PSR Quarterly, 1992; 2: 198-209 (published in 1992).  

4.  I never said the Rhodesian military was responsible for this event. I still do not know who was responsible. 

5.  Mr. Hatfill regurgitates all the arguments that had been put forward by others to explain the unprecedented anthrax epidemic in Rhodesia. I took apart each argument in my paper, one by one. In the 33 years since it was first published, no one has demonstrated that what I wrote was incorrect.  

6.  I am surprised that Mr. Hatfill is ignorant about the possibilities for anthrax dissemination. During World War II the US produced anthrax cattle cakes in Terre Haute, Indiana, for dissemination, if needed, to reduce the food supply in Germany. This method when spread by air would not cause any aerosolization. It could affect any animals and pets that eat the anthrax bait. Most likely the anthrax spread in Rhodesia was disseminated as cattle feed.

7. Contrary to Hatfill’s assertion, there is solid evidence of heavy ground contamination of anthrax in Zimbabwe. Anthrax cases in the country rose considerably after the deliberate spread in 1978-80. Since Rhodesia was a British colony, excellent records had been kept for many decades of all human cases, and these government records are reproduced in my 1992 paper. 

8. I never told anyone or briefed anyone that I thought Hatfill was the anthrax letter perpetrator. He did not have the requisite skills or access to equipment. I never met with the FBI or Senator Leahy’s staffers about him. I did, however, identify many lies on his Curriculum Vitae in 2002. Others identified his forged PhD certificate. Several of his other claimed degrees were expunged from his George Washington University bio, suggesting that he was unable to validate them as well. His entire history is questionable.

9.  I did question how Hatfill could be appointed a Chief Medical Officer of the ASPR agency within HHS, since the post requires a medical license, according to federal law. Apparently his lack of license was overlooked, or he claimed to have one when he did not. Hatfill has never had a U.S. medical license. I leave it to the imagination of the reader why that is the case.

10.  Hatfill attended a meeting with me at the behest of acting assistant Secretary John Knox. I corrected Knox’s claim that I was there as a friend of Secretary Kennedy and informed him I was an adviser of the Secretary. I am happy that Hatfill has identified this meeting, as I can now speak about it. It revealed to me his utter incompetence and inability to conduct himself professionally, which he himself admits in his diatribe.

11. Contrary to Hatfill’s claim that I was given a tutorial, in fact it was I who provided all the facts, and Hatfill who refused to discuss them and insulted me numerous times during the meeting. There is a transcript, by the way, to confirm what I am saying. At one point Hatfill’s remarks were so outrageous that the transcriptionist stopped typing them. There were 4 of us in the meeting: Hatfill has forgotten it was recorded. This is one of the ways I know he was fired for cause.

12. Hatfill claims that “some of your patients have serious open concerns about your ability to practice medicine.” I would note that all the patients at issue in my board hearing were 100% supportive of my care. There is a transcript of their testimonies. I have never had a patient complain to any board about my performance, and I have never had a malpractice complaint. If he is aware of a patient complaint about my ability to practice medicine, I’d love to see it.

13. I am not aware that I had any input to the Gain of Function Executive Order, but if my work contributed to it, I stand by the work.