Asked whether officials thought there was any connection between Crum's slaying and the recent killings of a Colorado prison official or the slayings of two Texas prosecutors, Hatfield said, "I hope not, " but declined to elaborate further.

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It declined to speak to me for the story, but I did chat with the CEO of one of the companies the group has funded.

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When I was putting together this panel, I had originally sought out the Center for Food Safety and the Union of Concerned Scientists to participate, but they declined.

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