VIRUSMYTH HOMEPAGE
VIA FEDERAL EXPRESS
Joel A. Schwartz
3463 State Street, #135
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Dr. Peter H. Duesberg
University of California
Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology
229 Stanley Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
July 1, 1996
Dear Dr. Duesberg,
The debate over the cause of AIDS has, of course, many far-reaching
consequences. It throws into question the entire course of federal spending
and policy in the War on AIDS, including the current treatments for AIDS.
However, a new and larger issue is beginning to emerge from this controversy.
A growing body of evidence indicates that governmental agencies, acting
directly or through the Public Health lobby, have been attempting to hide
the AIDS controversy from public knowledge. According to this evidence,
various Public Health officials have used influence, bribery, and intimidation
to silence dissent among scientists, in the communications media, and in
other public forums.
As the scandal of a government cover-up becomes public knowledge, taxpayers
and voters are demanding a full accounting of the secret measures being
used to silence dissent. I am writing on behalf of this growing movement.
It has come to our attention that you have been one of the targets of
this cover-up. Specifically, you have publicly admitted that officials
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have offered you compensation
for recanting your position on AIDS. But you have so far refused to identify
these officials or the exact terms of the offers. As an establishment scientist
who has received government funding, you owe the American public a full
disclosure of the facts.
For the record, I now call on you to provide the answers to the following
questions:
1) On November 9, 1995, you gave sworn testimony that an official of
the NIH visited you in late 1994 and made you an offer in exchange for
your agreement to recant your views on AIDS. You confirmed the existence
of this meeting in the book "Inventing the AIDS Virus", released
this year, which lists you as the sole author. What was the exact date
and place of that meeting?
2) What is the name of the NIH official with whom you met?
3) Who else was present at that meeting?
4) In your testimony, you stated that this NIH official handed you a
letter declaring that HIV causes AIDS. On this letter were three names:
yours, and two others - one of whom you refer to as an "old friend."
What were the names of these other signers, and which one did you refer
to as an "old friend"?
5) Who authorized these NIH officials to make you this offer? Who else,
in the government or elsewhere, was aware of this offer?
6) You have stated that, had you accepted the offer in full, the letter
was to be published in Nature magazine. You have also mentioned Nature
editor John Maddox as having been involved. Did John Maddox know about
the offer, and the meeting, before they took place? Did Maddox agree to
use his magazine as a forum to publish the letter? Which NIH officials
were in contact with Maddox regarding this offer? Have you communicated
with Maddox regarding this letter? If so, what did you and Maddox say?
7) Who actually wrote the letter? Please provide a copy of the complete
letter.
8) What, precisely, were you offered in return for signing the letter?
9) Precisely how long did you take to think over the offer?
10) What factor(s) did you consider while making a decision on the offer?
11) What was your final answer to the offer? Did you accept any part
of their offer? Did you make any counter-offers?
12) When did you first publicly reveal that this offer was made to you?
Where did you reveal this?
13) Are there any terms the government could offer that would persuade
you to recant your views on AIDS - even against the scientific evidence?
14) According to testimony we have received, you have privately admitted
the existence of previous offers made to you in return for your willingness
to change your position on AIDS. Written documents also suggest the existence
of such offers.
a) What were the exact dates and places of those meetings?
b) What were the names of the persons who met with you at those times,
or who helped arrange those meetings?
c) Were you given letters to sign at any of those meetings? If so, please
provide copies of each of those documents.
d) Who authorized each of those offers? Who else was aware of those
offers?
e) What were the terms of each of those offers (what were you asked
to do, and what were you promised in return)?
f) How long did you take to make a decision on each of those offers?
g) What was your answer to each of those offers?
h) Have you publicly revealed any of these previous offers made to you?
When did you reveal them? Where did you reveal them?
15) Have you received any such offers since 1994?
16) Have you been made any offers by Alfred Regnery, or by any of his
agents or associates, in return for your cooperation regarding the AIDS
debate? Did you agree to take any information out of the book you co-authored
with Bryan Ellison?
Certainly you must agree that the federal government cannot be allowed
to censor this AIDS debate, or any other controversy, from public view.
As a scientist involved in such a debate, you have a special responsibility
to disclose all government attempts to suppress opposition. The public
has a right to know.
I therefore assume you will provide the above answers in a timely manner.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Joel A. Schwartz
VIRUSMYTH HOMEPAGE