Virginia Congressman criticizes Ken Cuccinelli for demanding UVA climate research documents

RICHMOND - Rep. James P. Moran, D-8th, has joined critics of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's demand for documents from the University of Virginia related to the research of climate scientist Michael Mann.

Moran, chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, sent a letter to Cuccinelli that accuses him of using his office to stifle academic freedom and discredit scientific findings because they run contrary to his own beliefs on global warming and climate change.

"One can only conclude that your investigation is motivated by the desire to silence those with whom you disagree," Moran writes.

"Your cynical employment of the commonwealth's constitutional office to attempt to discredit these findings sets a dangerous precedent that will have a chilling effect on future academic freedom and scientific inquiry."

Cuccinelli is suing the Environmental Protection Agency, arguing that data, including research gathered by Mann at U.Va., was flawed, incomplete and misapplied to allow the agency to craft new regulation governing greenhouse gases -- rules that Cuccinelli says will cost the commonwealth millions in lost jobs and industry.

In the weeks that followed the Attorney General's April 23 investigative demand, the American Civil Liberties Union, national academic groups, and faculty from U.Va. and other Virginia public institutions have voiced stringent opposition. U.Va. officials questioned the basis for the demand, but said the university is under legal obligation to comply, and is reviewing how it should respond.

Cuccinelli's office tonight issued a statement that mirrored its response to previous criticisms.

"The revelations of Climate-gate indicate that some climate data may have been deliberately manipulated to arrive at pre-set conclusions," it read. "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 office also noted that its inquiry was part of "a fraud investigation and the attorney general's office is not investigating Dr. Mann's scientific conclusions."

Mann left U.Va. in 2005 and is now at Penn State University. He has said the demand is an attempt to smear his work and discredit climate change theory.

U.Va. has until July 26 to respond to the demand, and until May 20 to indicate whether it plans to challenge the legality of the request in court.

Moran's letter said Cuccinelli's petitions to overturn EPA's endangerment finding and reconsider its findings are legitimate ways to challenge to President Barack Obama 's response to the threat of climate change.

"It is entirely inappropriate, however, to harass and intimidate scientists whose research supports EPA's finding and the Obama administration's policy response," Moran continued.

He characterized as "incredible" the U.Va. civil investigative demand based on the claim that a fraud was perpetrated with the use of taxpayer dollars.