The original article stated: "Shell, Hesemann, and Mantle... characterize themselves as part of the 'International Research Group,' claiming to investigate the film, but one wonders how unbiased they can be when they appear to accept Santilli's money for their 'research expenses.'"
In reply, Hesemann told CNI News, "I cannot speak for Phil [Mantle] or Bob [Shell], but let me make clear once and for all that I never received a penny from Ray Santilli for my research on the film or any expenses. I did the research originally for MAGAZINE 2000 in Germany, whose editor I am, and paid for it on my own. It definitely was absolutely objective research, and indeed it didn't really serve Ray's [Santilli's] desire to market the film as 'the Roswell footage,' since I established that it does not have anything to do with the original Roswell incident of July 4th, 1947, but with another, formerly unknown crash at May 31st, 1947, southwest of Socorro, N.M."
Asked for comment, Rebecca Keith told CNI News, "I said the research group [comprised of Shell, Mantle and Hesemann] had accepted expense money from Ray Santilli. Bob Shell admits that he has, and so does Mantle. Hesemann... had exclusive marketing rights to the footage in Germany."
Keith let stand Hesemann's insistance that he had not received any direct financial compensation from Santilli.
Hesemann and Mantle have collaborated on a book, soon to be released, in which they argue for the authenticity of the Santilli autopsy footage. Hesemann has told CNI News that he is personally convinced the footage is authentic. Mantle is less emphatic, but definitely leans toward authenticity, as reported previously in CNI News (vol. 2, no. 20 of January 1, 1997).
Original file name: CNI - Cameraman.Hesemann.final
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