The FBI Wednesday dumped a load of documents on the family of Dr. Bruce E. Ivins, supposedly showing that the late Army bioweapons researcher was behind the deadly anthrax mailings of 2001.

It's the latest step that should leave a bigger stain on the government than Ivins' suffering kin and friends.

Hardly a month had passed since Steven Hatfill won a $5.8 million slander suit against the Justice Department that the government began leaking details on its case against Ivins, which, by many accounts, probably drove him over the edge.  Even after his suicide, the leaks continued.

For what purpose? To convince the public that the feds really -- no, really, cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die -- had a case against him?

Whatever happened to due process? Even the dead should be allowed that.

I have no idea whether Ivins was guilty, but the point is that he, unlike Hatfill, will never get a his day in court, and his family must bear the brunt of the government's cowardly, anonymous accusations forever.

UPDATE: 

Democratic Rep. Rush Holt, who represents the central New Jersey area when the anthrax envelopes evidently were mailed, issued similar sentiments after a private briefing Wednesday by FBI Director Mueller.

"I am pleased the FBI finally has begun to answer the questions that the families of the victims have had for nearly seven years," Holt said in a statement.

"While the circumstantial evidence pointing to Dr. Ivins that the Department of Justice released today is compelling, a number of important questions remain unanswered, such as why investigators remained focused on Dr. Hatfill long after they had begun to suspect Dr. Ivins of the crime and why investigators are so certain that Ivins acted alone. In addition, there are important policy questions for handling any future incidents of bioterrorism.  I will continue to conduct additional oversight on this issue over the course of the next several months."