Blackmail Fear: D.C.’s AIDS Test List Stolen

WASHINGTON — A log book containing a confidential list of people who have been tested for AIDS at health clinics in the nation’s capital was reported stolen, sparking fears the information may fall into the hands of blackmailers, it was reported today.

In addition to names, the book also includes the results of individual AIDS tests--many of them belonging to politicians, lawyers and other high-profile professionals, one city health official told the Washington Times.

District of Columbia officials discovered the book was missing from the city’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Administration office on Friday and said it was believed stolen some time last week.

George Powell, who heads the city’s central patient intake division, and Dr. Kurt Brandt, who coordinates the city’s testing program for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, were suspended with pay pending the outcome of an investigation, the newspaper reported.

One high-ranking official quoted by the newspaper expressed fears that the list could be used by blackmailers.

“Many of the tests involve doctors, lawyers, company executives and politicians--individuals who could be the target of blackmailers or others who might use the book for their own purposes,” the source said.