CASCADE - Chapter 23

PRESS CONFERENCE

March 18, 2023

PRESS CONFERENCE

Liam stepped up to a bank of microphones at the FBI office in Charleston. Chatter among reporters abruptly stopped as Liam came to the podium.

“My name is Special Agent Liam Doyle; thank you all for coming today. I have a brief statement, and then I will introduce you to the team members working on this case.” He cleared his throat and adjusted his notes. “The FBI is investigating all leads related to the recent blackout. No disruption to national security occurred. As for the cause, we are still trying to determine if this was indeed a terrorist act or an isolated substation technical issue which caused a cascade leading to a blackout.”

Turning toward his team, he continued, “I would like to introduce the dedicated agents investigating all possible leads. Aaron Franks,” Aaron stepped forward and raised his hand, “Mike Parker,” Mike nodded, and “Elizabeth Baldwin, our cyber security specialist.” Liz was uncomfortable with large crowds and showed the slightest smile and nod.

“I’ll take some questions.” Liam heard twenty people asking questions simultaneously. Despite the cacophony, a loud voice from the Charleston media market persisted.

“There have been reports that this was the work of China or Russia. Can you speak to that?”

“As I said in my opening statement, we have not determined the source or if this was a terrorist act.”

Another persistent reporter questioned, “What are the utility companies doing to prevent this from happening again?”

“I cannot speak for the utility companies, but I can confirm that they are using all of their resources to determine the cause.”

“How long will it take for your investigation to provide concrete answers?”

“We will provide specific details when we have them. That concludes our statements at this time. We will update you as soon as we have credible information to share. Thank you for your time.” Liam turned and walked off the stage as reporters continued with questions. Aaron, Mike, and Liz followed closely as they entered the FBI office.