Hold everything. In an abrupt turnabout, St. Martin’s decided to recall the book. The reason: the publisher determined that Hatfield had been convicted in 1988 of hiring a hit man to murder his boss. “We didn’t suspect for a minute. We had no idea,” said Sally Richardson, president and publisher of the St. Martin’s trade division. Word of Hatfield’s felony record broke in The Dallas Morning News last week, but Hatfield reportedly said the newspaper had confused him with another man. St. Martin’s checked his story and concluded there had been no mistake: J. H. Hatfield, the author, was the same man who in 1987 hired someone to plant a bomb in his boss’s car because the boss suspected him of embezzlement. Hatfield served nearly five years in a Texas prison and is on probation until 2003. “We don’t know what else he lied about,” said David Kaye, the publisher’s general counsel. No evidence has emerged to substantiate the book’s cocaine allegation, but a spokesman said the Bush campaign is considering legal action.
St. Martin’s executives said the firm bought the book because Hatfield was represented by a reputable agent and because the proposal seemed balanced and fair. They also said the manuscript had been thoroughly reviewed by lawyers.
The Bush book is largely a rehash of previously reported material, much like Hatfield’s earlier books on showbiz themes. His coauthor on several of these was a man named George (Doc) Burt. According to the Texas Department of Corrections, a George Burt served several years in prison for aggravated assault. Coauthor Burt himself could not be reached for comment, but a Dallas lawyer who represented him in a divorce told NEWSWEEK that Burt said he and Hatfield in fact met in prison. Hatfield and his lawyer, Craig Jones, could not be reached for comment, although Jones told St. Martin’s that Hatfield would be “completely vindicated” this week. In the meantime, St. Martin’s is out Hatfield’s $25,000 advance–and the much larger cost of cleaning up the mess.
