All Americans value the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press, and I believe this is essential for our continued way of life. But with this freedom comes responsibility.

Later, I went down to the Washington field office and an onsite polygraph was administered.

After eight months of one of the most intensive public and private investigations in American history, no one – no one – has come up with a shred of evidence that I had anything to do with the anthrax letters. I have never worked with anthrax. I know nothing about this matter.

I’m a medical doctor and a biomedical scientist.

Anthrax is a deadly inhalational disease.

It's also true that I have never, ever worked with anthrax in my life. It's a separate field from the research I was performing at Fort Detrick.

It's true that my research expertise is in biology: for example, the Ebola virus, the Marburg virus, and monkey pox, and not bacteriology as in the case of the anthrax organism. It's also true that I have never, ever worked with anthrax in my life. It's a separate field from the research I was performing at Fort Detrick.

I have last been inoculated in my records beginning in '99, and since December 2000, I am as susceptible to anthrax as any of you.

I am appalled at the terrible acts of biological terrorism that have caused death, disease and havoc in this great country starting last fall.

So I was surprised at the notion that I might have brought anthrax to my home, and would have been even amused if it was not for the fact that this matter is so grave and serious.