UVA Goes To Court Against Cucinelli Subpoena - Claims AG Exceeding Legal Authority

[hatrack]

EDIT

In a motion filed in Charlottesville, the University of Virginia argued that Cuccinelli's subpoena for papers and e-mail from global warming researcher Michael Mann exceeds the attorney general's authority under state law and intrudes on the rights of professors to pursue academic inquiry free from political pressure.

Cuccinelli, a vocal skeptic of global warming who is suing the Environmental Protection Agency over the issue, has said he is investigating whether Mann committed fraud by knowingly skewing data as he sought publicly funded grants for his research. Mann left U-Va. in 2005 and now works at Penn State.

Mann's case has been embraced by academics across the country, who wrote numerous letters encouraging the university founded by Thomas Jefferson to resist the attorney general. The university's governing board -- whose members were appointed by former governors Mark R. Warner and Timothy M. Kaine, both Democrats -- had first signaled that it would likely comply with the April order but then hired a major Washington law firm and prepared to take action. University President John T. Casteen III said in a statement that Cuccinelli's order had "sent a chill through the Commonwealth's colleges and universities."

EDIT

Cuccinelli has sought information about five grant applications Mann prepared before leaving the university, as well as all e-mail between Mann and his research assistants, secretaries and 39 other scientists across the country. Cuccinelli has repeatedly denied that he is targeting Mann's work because of his scientific findings and has promised an objective review of any documents turned over by the university.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/27/AR2010052705374.html

[dgibby]

1. Good for UVA!

I hope they win.

I want to move back to Va, but told my sister they had to get rid of those 2 lunatics first. And I thought Mark Sandford and his fellow travelers were bad!