posted on Jun, 7 2007 @ 12:34 AM
Here's the story, as best as I know: I'm not related to Michael Chertoff, at least in any way I can figure out. We might be distant relatives, 15
times removed, but then again, so might you and I. Bottom line is I've never met him, never communicated with him, and nobody I know in my family has
ever met or communicated with him.
As for what my mom said: When Chertoff was nominated to be head of homeland security it was the first I'd heard of him, and the same for my family
(and, FYI, we'd already sent the 9/11 issue to the press by then!). My dad and I thought there might be some distant relation. When Chris Bollyn
called and asked my mom if there was a relation (introducing himself as only "Chris"), she said "they might be distant cousins." Like much in the
conspiracy world, this was taken WAY out of context. (Another case in point: Bollyn called me earlier and asked "Were you the senior researcher on
the story?" I said, "I guess so," -- that's not a title I have ever used, nor is it at all common in magazine journalism, but I was the research
editor at the time, so it kinda made sense.) Nonetheless, I was one of 9 reporters on the story, not counting editors, photo researchers, photo
editors, copy editors, layout designers, production managers, fact-checkers, etc., etc., etc. who worked on this story.