I submitted this to an online newspaper in Virginia and will email this to Mr. Cuccinelli when I obtain his email address: (Update: I have submitted this to Mr. Cuccinelli via email.)
Open Letter to Mr. Cuccinelli, Attorney General
Sir, As co-author of a book (Climategate: The CRUtape Letters) that was harshly critical of the performance of Michael Mann and his colleagues, I write in criticism of your decision to investigate Mr. Mann for potential violations of state laws on fraudulent payment of claims.
Mr. Mann has been extensively investigated regarding his work product, and although I consider his actions to be often unprofessional and politically oriented, neither I nor any of the people interviewed for our book have any doubt whatsoever that Mann performed the scientific work he has been commissioned to do, or that he engaged in any fraudulent actions.
No matter what has prompted your investigation, there is no doubt that it will be interpreted as a witch hunt. If you are in fact investigating a credentialed scientist for results that do not suit your political opinion, that interpretation is correct. Unless you can reveal to the public prima facie evidence that shows cause for this investigation, I beg you to reconsider. There are ample avenues of professional and academic recourse for people like me who think he has done something wrong. But being wrong is not a crime, and intimidating scientists not a path that this country, including I presume Virginians, should ever pursue. You may consult with colleagues in Salem to determine how long it takes to live this type of thing down.
Sincerely,
Thomas Fuller
Comments
For AGW promoters, who have slandered, defamed and suppressed those who would question to them complain about witch hunts is not going to hold up at all.
Mann's work was paid for by *tax payers*. We have the legal right and power to confirm that the work was done properly.
Mann is already exposed as a fraud.
Why are you even hesitating at all over his legal investigation?
His buds want to put skeptics up on trial, you might recall.
The taxpayers have a right to know. Why are you calling this a witch hunt? Shouldn't you call the inquiries that have taken place a whitewash? They were not in depth and didn't call witnesses. So what are you afraid that they will find?
While I would normally agree with Mr. Fuller's argument, the conditions surrounding climate "science" warrants this type of action. You should be putting the blame on Al Gore for politicizing the issue, not Mr. Cuccinelli. Today we face excessive carbon taxes and the EPA is declaring CO2 to be a deadly poison! These are drastic and extremely dangerous measures which must be stopped immediately. Attorney General Cuccinelli is doing his civil duty to the taxpayer to put an end to these shenanigans which have no doubt cost millions or billions on tax payer purchasing power and will result in perhaps just as many deaths if this is not put to an immediate arrest!
I, for one, endorse this "witch hunt", and applaud the VA's AG for the courage to investigate those that have become powerful.
After all, Michael Mann is a witch who should be hunted - and an immoral criminal - and the states' Attorney Generals seem to be natural institutions that are supposed to break into the tightly organized, gangster-like behavior redistributing - and inflating the taxpayers' money among various AGW scaremongers among the "scientists", politicians, and related groups.
No one else is doing so because the AGW ideologues have contaminated other layers of the government and Academia that should be responsible for the checks and balances. So if VA's AG is different, it's just great, and it is a small step that may help to restore the balance of power a little bit.
The hockey stick graph has been fraudulent, so that's also the case of all the money that Michael Mann has received from VA's budgets as a result.
'....neither I nor any of the people interviewed for our book have any doubt whatsoever that Mann performed the scientific work he has been commissioned to do, or that he engaged in any fraudulent actions'.
Tom, This seems somewhat ambiguous.
Tom,
DOCUMENTS TO BE PRODUCED
6. Any checks,purchase orders, agreements, documentsor other things that evidennce any amounts paid under the grants.
You seem to be insisting it is only be about the science?
Am I mistaken?
"There are ample avenues of professional and academic recourse for people like me who think he has done something wrong."
Yes - and what has been the result? They closed ranks and ignored extensive evidence such as proviced by McIntyre and McKitrick. Are you going to say that they were done properly?
In page 179 of your book, you come very close to equalling Mann's actions to malpractice in medicine - quackery. Which you did call a crime. Actually you make a very good case for the comparison - even if you didn't directly call Mann's actions criminal. So an investigation is warranted.
As for "witch hunt", Tom Fuller, your reference to the Salem witch trials is a classical example of a straw man. What does one case have remotely to do with the other - besides providing the convenient buzzword "witch hunt"?
I have strong doubts as to whether Mann was honest in his work. In my opinion, by the time you've invented your fourth method for artificially increasing variance in the instrumental period, you have to consider that there is intent. However, I sure as heck don't need a lawyer to read the math and figure it out and claiming that it's a cost issue is just as bad. The Lawyer will spend more investigating than Mann got in his grants, and we had to pay for both. I don't know how many people here have paid a half million in taxes in the last 10 years but consider that all that tax money went to Mann and now they're going to waste another hundred grand on top of it, just to whitewash or witch hunt.
Waste of time in my book.
Thomas:
I think you got this correct: What is the evidence that spurred this investigation?
So the State of Virginia is having buyer's remorse. Or is there clear evidence of criminal wrongdoing? Or is another politician grandstanding an issue for pure political gain? It could be a mix of all of the above but bringing charges against Mann is a bad idea due to the poor precedent it sets. Yes the AGW crowd has used a lot of silly rhetoric about putting skeptics on trial and all that foolishness has worked against them and in the future history will not treat them kindly for holding such uncharitable flat out wrong views. Now the political right will be tarred the same way. I mean really people, think ahead 20 or 30 years - when this is looked back upon (I probably won't be around...) it will be considered interesting only for the sociological/political aspect. CAGW science is pure baloney and as a religion it doesn't even qualify as a second-rate cult. Prosecuting Mann is an unnecessary cheap shot. Eventually the public will figure this out.
Mr. Fuller, I think you are wrong to criticize Mr. Cucinelli's decision. The investigations into Mr. Mann's conduct and his science that have gone in his favour, e.g. that at his university, have been nothing more than a whitewash.
I believe Mr. Mann lied to the world. I believe Mr. Mann knew he was lying. I also believe Mr. Mann attempted to cover up his lies. You, of all people should know that having read the Climategate E-mails as I have also done.
Bring on the court case! I hope that Mr. Cucinelli is completely vindicated and that Mr. Mann is, indeed, found guilty.
Then, with luck, the whole global fraud that is Anthropogenic Global Warming will come crashing down and all the perpetrators will be similarly treated by the courts of the world.
Based on the documents I have seen (PDFs of the original complaints, not verified by any officials) the investigation is a civil matter, not a criminal one. It may be characterized as an audit than an investigation.
Still, junk science, or even bad science, is not a misuse of funds. I'm not sure that not following sound procedure is a misuse, either, but the state of Virginia may have a law or regulation that applies.
Without more data, we can't say whether this is just a politically motivated witch hunt or not.
See www.foxnews dot com /projects/pdf/Attorney_General_Cover.pdf
and ww.foxnews dot com /projects/pdf/Virginia_Attorney_General_Letter.pdf
Please correct the urls to see the documents.
"neither I nor any of the people interviewed for our book have any doubt whatsoever.......that he engaged in (any) fraudulent actions."
Freudian slip, Mr Fuller?
“Mr. Mann has been extensively investigated...” Really? Where was the letter demanding the prima facie evidence be revealed to the public at that time? Stick to science, Mr. Fuller. Your opinions on politics and the law are as hollow as mine are.
The guy got a 500,000$ grant and left in 2005 to go over to Penn, and now this case is going to cost the taxpayers of Virginia 250-500k just to try and recover that initial 500k?
The taxpayers have a right to know why this guy is going after such small returns. He should stick to covering up 200 year old breasts.
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