"

Ciralsky has reportedly attended recent court hearings, held before US District Judge Jack Tanner, as part of his investigation and had spoken to AUSA London about whetehr there are grounds for Bell's prosecution beyond the indictment.

In an earlier case prosecuted by AUSA London, Bell had pled guilty to minor federal charges and served a prison term.

In a related case also prosecuted by AUSA London, Carl Edward Johnson was convicted of threatening federal officials, and is currently serving a sentence in federal prison. In that case Johnson was charged with operating a Web site which was similar to a scheme proposed by an essay written by James Bell entitled "Assassination Politics," which envisions a method for anonymous, untraceable assassination, principally arranged through the use of digital technologies.

Bell has never been charged in connection with the essay, though it has been listed as among documents sought by court-authorized searches of Bell and Johnson, including the current Bell case.

"Assassination Politics" is available on the Internet in several locations, and it is considered to be a possible reason for Bell's current charges, though it is not cited in his indictment.

John Young, who was subpoenaed for grand jury testimony in January in the Bell case, says he was asked by the grand jury about "Assassination Politics," which is published on his Web site, Cryptome. Young says he told the grand jury the essay was published for public education on digital technlogies and that its publication is protected by the First Amendment.

60 Minutes' Ciralsky is understood to have asked AUSA London about the essay and its role in prosecuting Bell, and possible prosecution of others, as well as what other charges against Bell and others may be forthcoming.

Young expressed the opinion that Bell is being prosecuted as part of a governmental campaign to boost investigation and prosecution related to the Internet and digital technologies, and that other prosecutions are likely due to the favorable funding for such activities and corresponding publicity campaign to warn the public of their dangers to the nation.

Federal funding has substantially increased in recent years to investigate and prosecute Internet and digital technologies-related crime. The Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Department and the Central Intelligence Agency have warned of the threat posed by the Internet and digital technologies. Congress has responded with generous funding for training prosecutors, investigators and judges in the topics.

AUSA London and principal investigator on the Bell and Johnson cases, Captain Jeff Gordon of the US Treasury Department, haved received favorable media coverage for their successes with the cases, and Captain Gordon was granted an award by his agency for outstanding service. Gordon continues to be the lead investigator for the grand jury, on special assignment from the Treasury Department. Captain Gordon is alleged in the Bell indictment to be one of the federal officials stalked.

Adam Ciralsky is based at CBS News, Washington DC.

Unrelated to the Bell case, Ciralsky has been involved in a long-running legal battle with the Central Intelligence Agency in a dispute about his former employment in the legal department of the agency.


4 March 2001: Link to Ciralsky v. CIA et al complaint: http://antipolygraph.org/litigation/ciralsky/ciralsky-complaint.shtml