TB Patient: "I'm Very Sorry"

Atlanta Attorney With Dangerous Strain Of Tuberculosis Says CDC "Abandoned" Him In Europe

(CBS/AP)  The tuberculosis patient who sparked nationwide outrage after taking two trans-Atlantic flights despite warnings not to fly apologized for his actions, but said he felt "abandoned" by U.S. health officials.

"I'm very sorry for any grief or pain that I've caused anyone," Andrew Speaker, the 31-year-old Atlanta lawyer at the center of the health scare, said.

Speaker said none of his doctors, nor officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said he was contagious or that anyone was at risk.

In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," from his hospital room in Denver, Speaker explained that flying overseas for his wedding and honeymoon, while not encouraged by health officials, was never forbidden.

"I hope they understand, that based on what I was told, I didn’t think I was making that gamble," Speaker said.

"I've lived in this state of constant fear and anxiety for a week now, and to think that someone else now is feeling that, I wouldn't want anyone to feel that way.

"I don't expect those people to ever forgive me. I just hope they understand that I truly never meant them any harm," he said.

Jason Vik, one of the people Speaker put at risk, was glad to get the apology, reports CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella.

"I'm very impressed with him, I'm glad he came out and apologized," he said.

Vik's tuberculosis test came back with no signs of bacteria in his system. Although he must be tested again in two months, he says it's a relief.

Speaker's father, also a lawyer, taped a meeting with the CDC prior to leaving for his honeymoon.

"My father said, 'OK, now are you saying, prefer not to go on the trip because he's a risk to anybody, or are you simply saying that to cover yourself?' And they said, we have to tell you that to cover ourself, but he's not a risk."

Speaker, his new wife and her 8-year-old daughter were already in Europe for the wedding when the CDC contacted him and told him to turn himself in immediately at a clinic there and not take another commercial flight.

Speaker said he felt as if the CDC had suddenly "abandoned him." He said he believed if he did not get back to a specialized clinic in Denver, he would die.

"Before I left, I knew that it was made clear to me, that in order to fight this, I had one shot, and that was going to be in Denver," he said. If doctors in Europe tried to treat him and it went wrong, he said, "it's very real that I could have died there."

Additionally, Speaker, a personal injury attorney, could sue the federal government for being quarantined on the basis of federal regulations that some scholars see as unconstitutional.

Speaker will stay in a room with specially designed ventilation to prevent germs from escaping, and doctors will try as many as five different antibiotics first, reports Cobiella. If that doesn't work, they'll resort to surgery.

Speaker, however, could be sued by fellow airline passengers, especially if any caught the disease from him — which some legal scholars say is much more likely.

"He may be personally liable if someone contracts TB" from being near him on his recent flights to and from Europe, said Peter Jacobson, a University of Michigan professor of public health law. "I can see a jury coming down very hard on someone like that who willfully ignored advice not to travel."

He was quarantined May 25, a day after he was allowed to pass through the border crossing at Champlain, N.Y., along the Canadian border.

As a result, the U.S. border inspector who allowed Speaker back into the country, disregarding a computer warning to stop the man and don protective gear, has been removed from border duty, officials said Thursday.

[jspearin]

This man is the entitled rich people who think they can do whatever they want without consequence. He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. How dare he think his marriage is above the prescious lives of all those around him. He put literally hundreds of people's lives in danger. He disgusts me, as do all those who could possibly defend such elitest behavior!

We are doomed as a people if we don't start thinking of "us" instead of "I".

[martene1]

Scroo him...His new father in law is big cheese at CDC who specializes in...TB!!!! So this runt of a 31 yo knew much, much more than the average bear about the disease and the chances he was taking.

Arrogant runt took the chance of infecting hundreds maybe thousands of people of which some surely would have died. And maybe those he infected haven't been ID'ed yet!!

Also...getting back into the US via Canada border after Homeland Security put a stop this guy now alert--and it was ignored.

Congrats to all you Homeland Security idiots who think we are safer because GW built a huge cabinet department that is....uneffective.

What a waste of our money...again, George.

[monkfellow]

how about we get off the "rich" versus poor" silliness for a second and realize that a lot of homeless types, hardly "rich" are wandering around,some with TB,and who knows what else,and no one can stop them?
A taxpayer-funded "legal aid" lawyer can sue authorities for "unconstitutionally" stopping them from wandering around and infecting everyone(freedom of association and all that.
It's something to think about the next time you consider rolling down the car window and giving that guy at the off ramp of the interstate a little pocket change......

[infidel_us]

you certainly are!

[xlt150]

Doesn't all this seem a little bit fishy. This man somehow has contracted a rare form of TB and his new father in law is a researcher for this disease. What will happen if a sudden new cure has been found by te same person that possibly could have infected this man. What a way to get media attention.

It's been about 6 years since 9/11 and HomeLand Security is still broken. We're doomed.......

[suscl6]

Where is his wife and child? Why aren't they in quarentine. This is unbelievable that someone knowingly has risked the lives of many people who are now at risk to contract this highly contagious disease and possibly spread it to hundreds and thousands of people all over the world. "I'm very sorry" isn't going to help those people you knowingly put at risk. You deserve what you have coming to you.

[advanceus]

This guy is a college graduate "lawyer"?? I'm not surprised. He felt "abandoned by the U.S. Health Officials", what a crock. He is a selfish SOB and needs to be prosocuted by his peers. Hopefully they will be as stupid as he is and he will burn!!!

[grumpas]

This ought to tell some of these right wing nuts what Bush has done for national security since 9/11...literally nothing! No better than Homeland Security operates he could have been a walking biological time bomb and that bunch of clowns would never know it. They are to busy listening in on phone converstations, looking for terrorist's to come from Iraq and keeping our borders secure! What a joke!

[resqdiver4]

DisBarr this clown. And if anyone becomes infected by thias idiot or his family members who seem to be allowed to walk free amongst us infecting God knows how many more people, they should sue the Federal Government Department of Homeland Security for incompetence, gross negligence, failure to protect the citizens of this country and maybe just for GENERAL STUPIDITY! Thanks GW, this is another fine mess you've gotten us into!

[resqdiver4]

Right On Grumpas! Secure Borders, what a joke! They are as secure and GW Bushit has brains and we all know how that math works out! NEGATIVE NUMBERS!!!

[steveom3]

Typhoid Mary.

[taxpayer3]

Not only is this guy a joke but the whole border control deal is a joke as well. The border control guy should be held just as liable as the guy with the disease. In a since he pretty much let a known terrorist loose in the country when he had every ability to stop him. This just goes to show our tax dollars at work!!!!!!!!!!!
What a joke

[apdepetris]

Funny how now this guy starts expressing how sorry he is after his identity has been made public. Maybe having his name and photo plastered everywhere has something to do with it - it's a lot easier to be a jerk when no one knows who you are.

And the border inspector saw he was flagged and didn't bother to do anything about it. Yeah, I would definately believe a warning to wear protective gear around a person is "discretionary". Not! Just goes to show you that all the laws and regulations they put in place are absolutely useless if people don't follow them. It seems that every time we have on of these major problems it's because someone didn't follow the instructions or guidelines that were in place.

[victoriamfc]

He is a selfish man trying to justify his selfish behavior. He is still not taking responsibility for his acts. I hope he and his wife do not reproduce -- this country does not need another generation of people like him!

[ghoward666]

This man is a terrorist, just as surely as if he had tried to bring anthrax into the country. If he was of middle Eastern descent, there is no doubt in my mind he would be in jail right now.

His crime is the same as someone who knows they have AIDS sleeping with people without telling them.

He wasn't abondoned by anybody. Anyone with half a brain would know that if they had TB, any form of TB, contagious or not, should not be travelling abroad. If any of those countries or airlines had known of his condition, they would have denied him access. Had this condition been disclosed for his passport application, he would have been denied. He knew all of this, and chose to go anyway.

His father in law is guilty too. He no doubt was involved in the 'clearly illegal' clandestine flight back to the US, and knew more than anyone the risk to others. The CDC should have already fired him.

I'm not completely sure he broke any laws for criminal prosecution, but their should be. At the very least, hundreds of people have massive personal injury lawsuits to file.

[david_271-2009]

and this goof is going to sue the government because he is an idiot.. think about it... TB... doesn't take a genius to figure out that there are serious risks... (well it takes more than a lawyer).... use your head... i hope all the people on the plan that had to sit next to the guy sue his a$$... and with ttwo flights and a few other countries... this guy is done like dinner....

this guy is a tool...

[justfacts2]

This guy is a trained liar just from law school alone. I refuse to believe the CDC did not tell him he was a risk. Not with the way they have been acting. I still say if they would have plastered his face all over the news, both domestically and internationally, and told that he was a wanted man he would have been in custody well before now. If he was truly a risk like the government says he is, then his personal privacy comes second to the public's health.

[nolalou]

This guy was a selfish jerk. I don't know the reason he's not being prosecuted, unless they can't find any specific law he broke. If that's the case, then either state or federal laws need to be changed to make it a criminal offence to knowingly endanger the health of others by refusing to obey orders not to travel, and to turn himself in.

As for the border control agent at the US/Canada border, he needs to be fired and prosecuted for choosing to disregard an order. When he scaned the passport, and a health warning came up, saying the person should be detained, and that a mask should be worn, how the hell could he just decide "well, he didn't look sick to me"! You are not a doctor, you jerk! What if it was a terrorist suicide killer with a deadly infection? He may not LOOK sick, but you think you can just disregard orders and let him in anyway?

[estuardo40]

Though this guy does deserve to be quartined, the outrage is beyond ridculous! Having worked in health care my whole career, there are worst things you can contract, that get little or no attention, yet red flags should be waving frantically. Hepatitis for one, the 'flesh eating bacteria', etc. And back in the '80's, when we knew little about this new disease we now call AIDS, There was outrage at those who thought it was stigmatizing a section of society.

This guy does have a point about the CDC doing little to help him. Blame those in charge of taking care of this, not the one infected!

[mbcsmith]

Another LOUSY job of reporting by CBS. As reported by most other news outlets, this guy's father in-law works for the CDC. Wait, it gets better. He worked with TB.

[adiazswan]

If I were his wife I would divorce him, he obviously does not care about his wife or his daughter, if he did he would not have exposed them to this deadly virus, but then again he will most likely be dead in a years time, even with antiviral medication. His family had the most exposure to his, and will most likely contract TB. They should be quarantined, and they should begin taking antiviral medication, if not they will become "TB active", and spread this virus to everyone they come in contact. I am curious to know where and when did this man come in contact with this stran to TB? I understand the this is a mutated form of TB, but where did it come from? And what antiviral medications are being used to treat this virus?
Since this virus has been released into our country, we need to prepare our communities for a possible epidemic.

[smb221]

adiazswan, hundreds of people already have TB! There isn't really a way you can stop it, except for taking antibiotics. But in his case it is a drug-resistant form.

[verulam-2009]

Another egocentric "ME ME" lawyer. I hope the passengers can sue him for endangerment. Also if Homeland Security can't stop one of our own citizens how many bad guys get in here everyday.

[irishmail42]

Imagine the consternation if this fellow had anthrax.

[irishmail42]

Imagine the consternation if this fellow had anthrax.

[secundus2]

If you could transplant the brain of Mr. Tubercle into the body of Sgt. Snooze of the Border Patrol, would the result be worth a pitcher of spit?

For now, it looks as if everyone involved lucked out, but time will tell.

[truthspeake1]

And to think that we citizens worry about terrorists with box cutters or cigarette lighters in their shoes....

[azkobushi]

The guy is a selfless jerk. It's infinitely easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission. He knowingly and willfully endangered other people's health with no concern for their welfare. The guy doesn't deserve forgiveness, he deserves punishment.

[galaxiana]

Well, it looks like the personal injury lawyer is going to get a taste of his own medicine, lol! Now he'll be finding out what it's like to be on the receiving end of a personal injury lawsuit.

Although I can't blame the guy for wanting to get back to the USA rather than end up being stuck in Europe if the US decided to block his reentry, there are still many things this guy could have done to protect the health of others around him. For one thing, he didn't even bother to wear a mask on his return flight! He could have negotiated and cooperated with the CDC and booked a charter flight home, or taken ocean transport, or compromised in a number of other ways, but his selfishness won out over his concern for his fellow man, and hopefully they can prosecute him as an example to others.

I think it's very peculiar that his father-in-law is one of a very, very limited number of people who have access to this rare pathogen. One can't help but wonder if someone didn't want Daddy's Little Girl marrying this selfish jerk.

[missyx21]

I was watching him this morning.It all about him. He doesn't care about the fact that he can be spreading TB. I don't really care if this guys lives. let him die.

[darjeeleen]

Typical lawyer a**hole only cares for himself and only do things that's "legally" correct and not ethically correct. I hope he goe sto some ABA convention and do some coughing there.

[glb1969]

I can't believe this guy is taking this so well. The US government has no constitutional right or legal authority to held an individual indefinitely against his will. Thankfully, it looks as if he certainly will be able to sue the government for the monumental hassle and scare they put into him. Just goes to show that the goverment (and CDC in particular) just ignores the constitution when it suits their purposes.
Just because you are sick (and how would the government know if they had not illegally viewed his medical records) does not mean you lose your civil rights and right to freedom. Face it, the government blew it on this one.

[ahlst8]

This man is just SELFISH. There is NO way, with XDR, that health officials would not tell him that he was forbidden to fly. I am almost 100% sure that they explained the danger he was to others. He chose, knowingly, to expose others to this horrible infectious disease. What a horrible person - he should be prosecuted! At the very least, I hope that he is slammed with lawsuits... He needs to understand how serious this situation is - and what a horrible person he is to expose other people to this. I notice that he did not have his wife and child fly back with him, sitting next to him -- I think he DID understand the consequences of his actions.

[likeitis5050]

You gotta love the poetic irony here...a scum of the earth lawyer...about to be sued into oblivion because...guess what...he lacks integrity and moral conviction...what a shock!!! Couldn't happen to a nicer species...except that he involved a lot of innocent people who had no choice in his reckless and self-centered choice. Sorry? Sorry I got caught...sorry you're angry....sorry I'm in trouble...but not a sincere sorry for the people he put at risk. So typical.

[pensacola8-2009]

It is a shame the way this man has been a center of controversy over something that he can't change. I don't think his doctors are too scared of him. They were exposed very closely to him. What did we expect him to do? We have to remember if we have the cure or treatment for diseases or illnesses, the sick and dying will come to us for help. We should make international ambulation affordable and available for infectious patients, if we don't want to share a plane or ship with a sick traveler. No one will ever see our compassion when we show fear in our faces, words and voices.

[adra1956]

IF he (Speaker) has a taped recording of his meeting with the CDC before his flight, then he should not be held responsible the CDC di not prohibit him from going, just that they preferred him not to go. and just think if it had been a pandemic, it's a ggod thing to know now how lax our laws and statutes are concerning these things....and the big queston shouldbe where did HE contract the disease in the first place. i also think it's just a bit fishy how his new father-in-law jus happens to work for the CDC in the department that studies this strain of tb. Don't ya think?

[hottexas]

Curious, where are the comments?

[beachbum56]

It is strange that his father-in-law works with TB at the CDC. Did they ever say why he thought he had TB, or why he was tested and found out he had it in the first place? Just wondered.

[ekucrew]

Has this ambulance chaser heard the sirens or seen the lights of the onslaught of lawyers that will be after his hide and $$$$.

[kro16-2009]

This form of TB may be extremely hard to treat, but there is no cure for STUPID! What an inhumanly selfish person he must be.

[rushlimpdrug]

It is reported that he said if he hadn't flown commercial, it would have cost him $100,000 to fly back to the U.S. Boy, aren't we glad the Speaker family saved all that money.
I say everyone that was near this scum lawyer sue him. Then drag his happy azz back to Europe and let them at him

[opedanderson]

14 people in my city, Montreal were on that flight from Prague. Where are they? Is it safe for me to take the bus? That lady who was coughing this morning, is she one of them?

Thanks a lot, Speaker. You're a sweetheart!

[secretpaws]

How irresponsible and selfish! Come on! This guy says that he is intelligent (his quote in a newspaper)? Would you travel in a locked cabin if you knew someone aboard had TB? I don't think so!
This is all very fishy. His father-in-law a TB expert? He didn't know enough to tell his son-in-law not to travel? He has been working for the CDC for 30+ years and doesn't know better??
I am outraged!!! I would love to know where he got the TB.
If a foreigner did this in the US, he/she would be labeled a terrorist.

[aaabee-2009]

Did he really come back to go on his honeymoon?

If he knew he was contagious, wouldn't he have at least thought about his new wife and the danger to her, and not gone near her?

Maybe he really did think he wasn't contagious, putting someone he loved in danger like that.

[toldyouso21]

To me, every time this man opens his mouth he makes things worse not better. I don't buy that he is sorry, he is just trying to minimize what has become HUGE (justifiable) fallout for his inconsideration. The man is a personal injury lawyer, what does he actually handle? Cases where people personally injure themselves? He is horrible. I'm certain he must be aware of malpractice suits and even my 9 year old knows that TB is communicable. When he talks about his possible one shot at living he still indicates (via his actions) that his one shot is worth maybe causing hundreds to join him in this TB disease Hell. He gambled with his life and others on the way out--AND HOW MANY PEOPLE DO NOT READ UP WHEN TOLD THEY HAVE A DISEASE? THIS MAN IS A LIAR--and THAT is going to net him even more problems than this inconsideration--because now, no matter what he says--we know he will say anything, backtrack over anything, lie, cheat, commit a crime--to have his way--and to hell with the fallout to everyone else.

[capeclub]

This man is well educated and connected to the CDC, so he knew exactly what the risks were to himself and others and he chose to ignore them. His story changes - first he was okay, then he was afraid he'd die in Italy.

The scariest part of this story is the lack of security at the border. He gave the border guard a soft-soap story and the guard ignored the alert to stop him and let this bio-hazard through. How many potential terrorists have and will get through? And, yet, regular airline passengers are put through onerous delays and checks. Let's all just drive to Canada and fly out of their airports. The 9/11 terrorists come in through Canada and the whole point of Homeland Security was to prevent it happening again. We're so worried about hard-working immigrants from South of the border, we neglect to see the real danger is North of the border.

[toldyouso21]

hmmmmm a personal injury lawyer--who know doubt also deals in malpractice cases....FAILS to research his own disease? Why did he have masks in his luggage if he thought he was not contagious? Why did he expose other people to his disease after he found out he carried a deadly TB? A one shot at life does not give anyone a right to sacrifice hundreds for his one, sorry life. Sorry Andrew, you are going on the hate list--and the liar list, Right beside GWB.

[toldyouso21]

Not! Just goes to show you that all the laws and regulations they put in place are absolutely useless if people don't follow them. It seems that every time we have on of these major problems it's because someone didn't follow the instructions or guidelines that were in place.
Posted by apdepetris at 09:19 AM : Jun 01, 2007


Just like illegal immigrants. Legal immigrants get a thorough health screen, blood work up, etc and sick ones are denied entry or must go into quarantine. Many Illegal ones come willy nilly across our borders and they are full of leprosy, drug resistand staph infections, TB etc--Texas , California and Arizona have some of the highest rate of TB AND unsual tropical disease and exotic parasites in the US------wonder why?

[hauptlager]

This guy should be JAILED AND SUED!!! He know exactly what he was doing. He just decided his personal pleasure was more important than other people's health. He's definitely a LIAR. He felt abandoned by the government, yet he hopped is sickly AZZ on a plane to head to the US. Also, the border agent should be fired. He looked fined fine, so he let him pass through. People with deadly diseases look FINE all the time, and then they drop dead.

[toldyouso21]

Yep, if this man was Middle Eastern, we'd have him in Gitmo and insist this was bioterrorism, he's sped YEARS there before we even got around to interrogating him, and if he died of his TB--we could always claimed he killed himself--because in a way--he most certainly did. This fvcker is not even being charged, we should all call our Congressmen and demand he be charged if not under existing statutes then under Bush's nebulous "he can charge or do anything he want" national security programs. This man and the border guard deserve that and would set an example to other people who know they have a communicable disease and yet run around and through the public anyway.