After the 2000 election, Hattaway went to Capitol Hill to work for then-Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle as communications director, beginning work shortly before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was still in the position when Senator Daschle’s Washington, D.C., office received a piece of mail containing anthrax. Hattaway told "PRWeek", “I thought I had a good crisis communications experience after the Florida recount. Now I’ve got September 11 and anthrax. It’s not the kind of crisis management experience you want.”