Surveillance Video Surfaces in FBI Debate Probe

W A S H I N G T O N, Sept. 27 -- — FBI agents investigating the mysterious delivery of GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush’s secret debate prep material to Democratic rival Al Gore’s camp have questioned a woman about a trip to the post office that was captured by surveillance cameras.

According to law enforcement sources, the FBI obtained the surveillance videotape from a post office in Austin, Texas, also home to the Bush campaign headquarters.

The tape shows Yvette Lozano, a low-level aide to Bush media consultant Mark McKinnon, with a package on Sept. 11 — the same date found on the postmark of the package mailed to a Gore campaign adviser.

Nice Pants

Lozano, who was fingerprinted and interviewed by the FBI, says the package contained a pair of pants she was mailing back to The Gap for McKinnon. He backs her story.

“It’s a terrible, unfortunate coincidence,” McKinnon said today on ABCNEWS’ Good Morning America. “They’re targeting a young, innocent woman whose only mistake was to mail a package for me to get some pants.”

Holding up the package he said contained the pants he received in exchange from The Gap, McKinnon added, “We are absolutely positive, absolutely, that she was not mailing the package in question. It was this package.”

Lozano may have fallen under suspicion because both she and McKinnon have a history of helping Democrats. Lozano worked for former Texas Goo. Ann Richards, whom Bush unseated, and state Rep. Vilma Luna. McKinnon, who runs Maverick Media consulting in Austin, also worked for Richards as well as other Democrats before signing on with the Bush team.

McKinnon said he gave the FBI his credit card information so agents can track the package and corroborate their story. And both McKinnon and Lozano have offered to take a lie detector test.

Bush Camp, FBI Clash

The Bush campaign is crying foul, accusing the Clinton administration of interfering with the inquiry.