To: IAHF List
Subject: Clay's Disparaging Comments Placed Into Perspective
From: "International Advocates for Health Freedom" jham@iahf.com
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 18:29:23 -0500

IAHF List: Today I called the Washington Capital Police to complain about House Oversight Committee staffer Beth Clay's defamatory statements against me (see her email below) and I spoke with Officer Dave Pendleton who agreed that she was out of line and that he would call her to tell her to cease and desist. Clay has a restraining order against an ex husband, and seems to have a chip on her shoulder against anyone who reminds her somehow of the guy. It is wrong of her to extrapolate from that situation, whatever it may be, to anyone who somehow reminds her of her ex, but one must wonder in light of this nonsense what his actual experience with her was in the first place.

In the email below, Clay alleges that I have made "threatening statements to federal employees" additionally she outrageously asserts that she "felt personally at risk for myself, my staff, and my children." Furthermore, she alleges that I am a violent terrorist due the exploding gif file on the IAHF website http://iahf.com/blowup.html wherein one may view the FDA logo exploding, and simultaneously listen to the sound of an explosion if they wish to before entering the website.

Today I asked Officer Pendleton of the Capital Police to clarify what I already know to be true, which is that the exploding gif file on my website to which Clay so strenuously objects is in fact protected free speech under the first amendment to the US Constitution. Pendleton did indeed readily agree that this "exploding gif" file does not constitute a threat, either direct, or implied of violence against the FDA, and that Clay has no justification to publicly assert based on it that I am advocating that the FDA "be bombed."

He did agree that she had about as much right to object to that gif file on the IAHF website as she would to object on any moral grounds to any personal choice in music that I might have if the lyrics happened to be anti government, or any other personal choice I might make based on my first amendment rights. Once and a while, if I'm in a lousy mood, I go on my own website to the "exploding gif" and click the mouse a few times to listen to the sound of an explosion. Try it! It alleviates frustration from dealing with mindless government bureaucrats, corrupt politicians, crooked pharmaceutical companies and evil regulators from the FDA! There is about as much harm in this as there is in going to an arcade to play a video game, and Clay's assertions that I am a violent monster are not only patently absurd, but raise questions as to her impartiality.

Additionally, with regards to her allegations that I have made "threatening statements to federal employees", this too is equally outrageous. It is true that two years ago Clay reported me to the Washington Capital Police and made allegations that I had "made illegal threats". Upon discussing this with the Washington Capital Police, they readily conceded the absurdity of her assertions, and that was the end of the matter. If there had been any GENUINE cause for concern, I would have been arrested. Her calling the cops on me in that situation raised serious questions in my mind as to her impartiality.

Here is what happened. Two years ago I engaged the National Academy of Sciences in a dialogue regarding their unscientific, pharmaceutically funded paper "A Risk Assessment Model for Establishing Safe Upper Levels for Nutrients" I complained about the 35 mg "safe upper level" on niacin, about their selectively ignoring their own safety data as they call fluoride an "essential nutrient" and about the whole bogus concept of the "UL" given the fact that any substance, even WATER can be toxic at SOME level. I personally use megadoses of niacin for which I have a genetic need, and it would directly threaten my health if I lost access to niacin in high potencies.

In any case, after WEEKS of attempting to get NAS to send me the CV's of the authors of their very biased paper, and the raw data behind it, (all of which would clearly show gross conflict of interest) I got frustrated. NAS is not subject to FOIA because they're not part of the government, they're a non profit organization, and they're not subject to FOIA as a result even though they use federal grants to produce many of their papers including the one to which we object.NAS the FDA and Pharma Cartel are clearly hiding behind the fact that NAS is a non profit organization, so are therefor not subject to FOIA, so there is no way we can get the CVs of the authors of the so called "risk assessment" paper, which would clearly show conflict of interest. On my own I got the CV of one of the authors of the paper, Dr.Stephen Zeisel, Chair of the Nutrition Dept at the University of North Carolina. It clearly indicated that he was caught in a serious conflict of interest, that he was receiving millions in pharmaceutical research grants. After weeks of being blown off by NAS which refused to respond to my queries, I sent them an email in which I stated that "hell aint half full", but that wasn't a "threat" it was just an angry observation, moreover it wasn't made "against the government" since NAS is NOT the government!!

I cc'ed that angry email to Beth Clay wherein I stated to NAS that "hell ain't half full" so that she could clearly see the need for oversight on this issue, since no action seemed at all to be proceeding regarding it and I just wanted her to see what I'd been running into. The email was not a threat against anyone, it was just me venting, and in a subsequent conversation with Beth I told her that, but she had already complained about me to the Capital Police, alleging falsely that I had "threatened her" which as I have explained, is patently absurd. Moreover, assuming my email HAD in fact constituted a "threat" (it did not) it wasn't against HER in any case as it had only been "cc'ed" to her. It had in FACT not been sent to the government at all, because NAS is NOT the government, and THAT was the source of my frustration in the first place. FDA is hiding behind the fact that NAS isn't subject to FOIA as they attempt to set us up to lose in a trade dispute by having put that paper on the table so as to create phony safety standards. (Safety is the only out by which a country can object to harmonization, so the Cartel is attempting to preempt us based on this phony paper, and others.)

Clay's assertions are thoroughly reprehensible, and call into question her ability to put together an oversight hearing that constitutes anything more than just more than just "bread and circuses" in an effort to placate and appease the angry masses who are being screwed by this. Burton's committee isn't the only one on Capital Hill that conducts oversight hearings. As to her assertions that she "can't comment" on my information due to "an investigation being in progress"- thats bull. She's not some special prosecutor or anything like that, she's just a person who puts oversight hearings together.

As to her suggestion that people on the IAHF list go to the FDA's website in order to file comments, and her statement that they will be "receiving" them after the 16th. This is just MORE bull as the FDA's deadline has passed, they're not interested in comments anyway unless they originate from multinational pharmaceutical interests, and it doesn't seem as though she cares much at all that the FDA is setting us up by having a comments deadline 11 months before the next Codex meeting even takes place.

The next time you see any disparaging comments by Beth Clay against me or anyone else, just consider the source. How best to deal with this? Tell more people whats going on so they'll know the truth. Go to http://www.iahf.com and click on the hotlink into the petition for oversight. Once we have a lot of signatures, we can approach other people besides Burton if he won't hold a hearing. If this frustrates you, and you feel angry reading it, be my guest: go to http://iahf.com/blowup.html and blow up the FDA's logo a few times, its good therapy when dealing with this utter mindlessness. .

Please join me in praying for Beth Clay. I pray that she can sleep at night. Please join me in praying for the people at the National Academy of Sciences who generate the biased, unscientific papers that are being arranged for the purpose of blocking our access to vitamins on a basis of "safety". Perhaps these NAS stooges will upon standing before their Creator reiterate the infamous words of Nazi Adolph Eichmann when he was finally caught "Don't blame me! I was just following orders!!"

Will we in fact have Oversight? Yeah, and it will be FAIR too, but we might not see it in our lifetimes, and we are all witnesses to a horrible crime.

From: "Clay, Beth" <Beth.Clay@mail.house.gov>
To: John Hammell <jham@iahf.com>
Subject: RE: Open Response to Beth Clay Re Need for Oversight Hearing on C odex Vitamin Issue
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 17:38:25 -0500

Dear Mr. Hammell,
I have received numerous letters from concerned citizens regarding CODEX. As you recall, I spoke with you at length during the 106th Congress and told you at that time that we had an ongoing investigation regarding dietary supplement regulation, including CODEX. As a part of that investigation, I attended the meetings in Berlin as a member of the US Delegation to observe the proceedings first hand. I will not address the particulars of your statement below except to state that our investigation continues and that hearings regarding dietary supplement regulation, including CODEX, will be conducted in the 107th Congress.

I would also like to state to you and all of your list members, that over the course of the last two years, I have received e-mails from you that made threatening statements to government employees. I felt personally at risk for myself, my staff, and my children. Your website also has a section where you blow up the FDA. As someone who is devoting my life to public service, I do not find any humor in the suggestion of a terrorrist act against a federal facility. I grieved the loss of Federal employees and small children after the senseless Oklahoma bombing. I personally view the threat or suggestion of terrorist acts such as blowing up the FDA or doing physical harm to Federal employees or scientists who do not kowtow to your demands as reprehensible and irresponsible. I also personally feel that such behavior and the tone of so many of your e-mails have a deliterious effect on the cause of medical freedom and dietary supplement access worldwide. I personally suggest to everyone of your listserve members to go to the CODEX sight, personally read the documents and draft a personal response to Dr. Yetley about the specifics that you feel strongly about. Please also note that two public meetings will be held, at which time anyone of your list members will have the opportunity to make additional comments.

Beth Clay
Professional Staff Member
Government Reform Committee
US House of Representatives