Date: Wed 11 Nov 1992 19:34:56 >From: Moderators Subject: File 7--Transcript from Al Johnson Interview ((MODERATORS' NOTE: Al Johnson, Director of Security for the Pentagon City Mall, has denied saying that the US Secret Service was involved in the 2600 disruption, and he has given other news sources a different version than he gave to Brock Meeks. The following are Al Johnson's original comments as transcribed from the original conversation. We leave it to readers to decide for themselves what Al --More--[Press space to continue, 'q' to quit.]Johnson said in the initial interview.)) Further information may be obtained from Brock Meeks at: (202) 872-9202 ex. 271; or 2115 Ward Ct. NW, Washington, DC 20037 +++++ Transcript of interview with Mr. Al Johnson, Dir. Security for Pentagon City Mall B. Meeks: I'd like to ask you a few questions about an incident where some of your security guards broke up a meeting of some hackers on Friday (Nov. 6). Al Johnson: They broke up some meeting of hackers? B. Meeks: Yes. AJ: I don't know about breaking any meeting up. Who... first of all I can't talk to you on the phone, if you want to come in, I don't talk to the press on the phone. --More--[Press space to continue, 'q' to quit.]B. Meeks: OK AJ: Ahh... maybe you outta call the Secret Service, they're handling this whole thing. We, we were just here. B. Meeks: the Secret Service was part of this? AJ: Well, FBI, Secret Service, everybody was here, so you might want to call their office and talk to them. There's not much I can really tell you here. B. Meeks: OK AJ: Our involvement was minimum, you know, minimal. B. Meeks: I see, but your folks were acting on... AJ: We didn't break anything... I.. we didn't.. as far as I know, well I can't say much on the phone. But I, well, somebody's awfully paranoid apparently. Where'd you get this information from? --More--[Press space to continue, 'q' to quit.]B. Meeks: Umm.... from computer bulletin boards AJ: Bulletin Boards? B. Meeks: Yep. AJ: When did you get it? B. Meeks: I got it, ah, Sunday night. AJ: Sunday night? B. Meeks: Yep. AJ: [small laugh] Ah, yeah, you gotta call the FBI and the Secret Service there's not much I can do for you here. B. Meeks: Ok. Al, if I come down there will you talk to me to down there? AJ: No. I can't talk to you at all. Fact is, there's nothing to talk about. Our involvement in anything was minimal, I don't --More--[Press space to continue, 'q' to quit.]know where this information came from as far as bulletin boards, and breaking meetin's up and you know... B. Meeks: Well, the Arlington police were down there too. I mean I've talked to several of the kids that were involved. AJ: Um-hmmm B. Meeks: They said, that ah, members of your, of the mall security forces, ah, or security staff, searched them, confiscated some material and didn't give it back. Did any of this happen? AJ: Like I said, I'm not, I'm not able to talk to you... we have a policy that we don't talk to the press about anything like that. You can call the Secret Service, call the FBI, they're the ones that ramrodded this whole thing, and you talk to them, we're out of this basically, you know, as far as I'm concerned here. B. Meeks: Ok. Is there a contact person over there that you can... AJ: Ah.. you know, I don't have a contact person. These people were working on their own, undercover, we never got any names, --More--[Press space to continue, 'q' to quit.]but they definitely, we saw identification, they were here. B. Meeks: They were there. So it was all the Secret Service and none of your men? AJ: Ah, nah, that's not what I said. But they're the ones you want to talk to. There's nothing I can really ya. Okay? B. Meeks: Okay. AJ: Thanks. B. Meeks: Bye. ------------------------------ Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253