Investigation "prudent" says A-G
No infringement on academic freedom
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said Wednesday the investigation by his office into the research activities of a former UVA scientist is about possible fraud and is in no way an infringement on academic freedom Cuccinelli said that he is not investigating Dr. Michael Mann's scientific conclusions and that the legal standards for the misuse of taxpayer dollars apply the same at universities as they do any other agency of state government.
The Attorney General stated that it was not normal policy to comment on open investigations for the sake of the individuals involved as well as the investigative process. The Office had sent a Civil Investigative Demand to the University of Virginia to obtain documents related to the work of Dr. Mann who is a leading researcher in climate change and was part of the University's faculty between 1999 and 2005.
The C.I.D. was made public on The Hook website by someone other than the office of the attorney general though they have now confirmed the documentation is authentic.
A statement issued said: "The revelations of the so-called Climate-gate indicate that some data may have been deliberately manipulated to arrive at pre-set conclusions. The use of manipulated data to apply for taxpayer-funded research grants in Virginia is potentially fraud. Given this, the only prudent thing to do was to look into it."
"The same legal standards for fraud apply to the academic setting that apply elsewhere," said Cuccinelli. "The same rule of law, the same objective fact-finding process will take place."
U.Va. has hired a law firm to explore legal options - agreed to by the Attorney General - signaling a possible fight regarding the demand.
According to the C.I.D., the equivalent of a subpoena, the Attorney General is investigating the possibility Dr. Mann is in violation of the Fraud against Taxpayers Act because he may have presented false or misleading data relating to climate change while seeking state-funded research grants.
Mr. Cuccinelli says he is working with U.Va. to resolve the investigation quickly with the least disruption as possible to the university. U.Va. has asked for an extension of the deadline to July 26 in order to turn over the documents requested through the C.I.D. The university has also asked for a reduced scope for the amount of documents requested. Both requests were agreed to by the Attorney General.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has announced that its Board of Directors is asking Mr. Cuccinelli for justification of his probe into Dr. Mann's work or cease. They went on to say that Cuccinelli's investigation is political and may have a 'chilling effect' on scientific research.
"[The investigation] is making many, many scientists nervous," said Mr. Alan Leshner, chief executive officer of the association. "The purpose of science is to tell us about the natural world, whether we like the answer or not."
Mr. Cuccinelli says concerned scientists should not fear: "They need not worry, but I doubt anybody screaming about it will take that from me. We are going to work our way through the process in a professional way."
The Attorney General's office has indicated they will not be commenting further on the pending investigation.
Man made global warming is a fraud. It isn't about saving the planet; rather it is about a grab for ultimate power and a vast redistribution of wealth by the Democrats. Those responsible for perpetrating the fraud of man-made global warming should be investigated, exposed, charged and brought to justice.