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         Trial, and book launch, of indicted artist move forward
         By CAROLYN THOMPSON, Associated Press
         Last updated: 4:37 p.m., Thursday, May 18, 2006
         BUF FAL O, N.Y . -- Pre par ati ons fo r the tr ial of an ar ti st who se hom e l abo ra tor y a nd boo ks on bi olo gic al age nts dr ew th e s usp ici on of po lic e
         inv est iga tin g the de ath of hi s w if e c ont inu ed Thu rsd ay ju st as the bo ok an d p roj ect th e a rti st ha d b een re sea rch in g w ere be ing la unc he d.

         At iss ue in U. S. Dis tri ct Cou rt is St eve n K urt z's ef fo rt to hav e a ny sta te men ts he mad e t o p ol ice ke pt out of hi s upc omi ng tri al on ma il and wi re
         fra ud cha rge s tar get ing th e w ay he ob tai ned ba cte ria f or his un con ven tio na l a rtw ork .

         In New Yo rk Ci ty, me anw hil e, a c om pan ion fi lm to Kur tz 's boo k o n g erm wa rf are wa s o n v iew in t he Whi tne y M use um Bi enn ial . T he boo k
         "Ma rch ing Pl a g ue: Ge rm War far e a nd Gl oba l P ubl ic Hea lt h," wa s p ubl ish ed in Ap ril .

         Kur tz, al ong w ith Un ive rsi ty of Pi tts bur gh gen eti cis t Rob ert Fe rre ll, we re ch arg ed in 200 4 w it h m isu sin g F err ell 's ac cou nt wit h a bi ol ogi cal su ppl y
         com pan y t o o rd er bac ter ia for Ku rt z. The Un ive rsi ty at Bu ffa lo art pr ofe ss or is a f oun din g m em ber of Cr iti cal Ar t Ens emb le, wh ose wo rk
         som eti mes ch al len ges go ver nme nt po lic y a nd has to uch ed on is sue s s uch as c lon ing an d g ene tic al ly alt ere d f ood .

         Kur tz sup por te rs say th e c rim ina l cas e i s t he gov ern me nt' s a tte mpt to si le nce ar tis ts lik e K ur tz, a cla im pro sec ut ors de ny.

         The ca se beg an wh en Kur tz dia led 9 11 in May 20 04 aft er fi ndi ng his wi fe, H ope , d ead of na tur al ca use s i n t hei r b ed .

         Whi le in Kur tz 's hom e, pol ice of fi cer s g rew su spi cio us af ter se ein g b ook s rel ate d t o b iol ogi ca l w eap ons an d l abo ra tor y e qui pme nt, in cl udi ng pet ri
         dis hes wi th ba cte ria . T he Joi nt Te rro ris m T ask Fo rce w as sum mon ed.

         Kur tz was la te r i ndi cte d o n m ail a nd wir e f rau d c har ge s u nre lat ed to ter ro ris m.

         He dec lin ed to co mme nt aft er Thu rs day 's hea rin g, whe re he wa s r epr ese nte d by att orn ey Pau l C am bri a. Cam bri a's hi gh -pr ofi le cli ent s h av e
         inc lud ed pub li she r L arr y F lyn t a nd th e m usi cia ns Mar il yn Man son an d D MX.

         Sup por ter s s ai d t hat am ong it ems s eiz ed fro m K urt z's h ome wa s a fi rst dr af t o f t he Cri tic al Ar t E nse mbl e g erm wa rf are bo ok, wh ich qu es tio ns the
         pra cti ce of ch ann eli ng pub lic re so urc es int o p rog ram s to cou nte r b iot err or ist at tac ks it say s are un lik ely to oc cu r.

         A W eb sit e t ha t r ais es mon ey for K urt z's le gal de fen se pr omo tes "M arc hin g Pla gue " a s " the bo ok an d f ilm th e F BI tr ied to st op. "

         "Th is is abo ut in tim ida tin g p eop le wh o a re cri tic al of th e c urr ent ad min is tra tio n," Lu cia So mm er of the Cr iti cal A rt Ens emb le Def ens e Fun d s aid
         of the cr imi na l c ase ag ain st Kur tz .

         Ass ist ant U. S. At tor ney Wi lli am Ho chu l r esp ond ed tha t the ca se had no thi ng to do wi th the bo ok , n oti ng the in dic tm ent ag ain st Kur tz an d F err ell
         was re tur ned b y a gr and ju ry.

         "Th is cas e i nv olv es ill ega lly ob ta ini ng two bi olo gic al or gan ism s b y f rau d and ha s n oth ing to d o w ith bo oks or an y oth er exp res sio n," H och ul
         sai d.

         --- ---

         On the Ne t:

         Cri tic al Art E nse mbl e: htt p:/ /ww w. cri tic al- art .ne t

         Cri tic al Art E nse mbl e D efe nse Fu nd : h ttp :// www .ca ede fe nse fun d.o rg

         Cop yri ght 20 06 As soc iat ed Pre ss. A ll rig hts re ser ved . Thi s m ate ria l m ay no t b e p ubl ish ed, br oa dca st, re wri tte n,
         or red ist rib ut ed.

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