American Tradition Institute takes UVA to court over Mann emails

By Norman Leahy | Monday, May 16th, 2011 | Policy, Virginia

The American Tradition Institute, which months ago filed a freedom of information act request with the University of Virginia for copies of former UVA professor Michael Mann’s emails has had to file suit to get the material it asked for. From the press release:

the American Tradition Institute’s Environmental Law Center and Virginia Delegate Robert Marshall asked a Prince William County judge, under the Commonwealth’s Freedom of Information Act, to expedite the release of documents withheld by the University of Virginia that pertain to the work of its former environmental sciences assistant professor Dr. Michael Mann.

The legal action follows a delay by UVA of more than four months since ATI and Del. Marshall made their original request on Jan. 6. Since then UVA officials have demanded an unjustified and unsupportable sum of $8,500 from ATI to produce the documents, despite its admission that it knows precisely where the records exist on a specific University computer server. Still, ATI made a down payment of $2,000 for UVA to begin its search and delivery of Mann’s records – and also a second payment, for a total paid of $4,000.00 – but University officials still have not provided any documents, nor offered a schedule of its intentions to respond to ATI’s information request.

“More than one month ago, on April 6, 2011, the University informed us in writing that it expected to begin producing responsive records ‘shortly,’” said Christopher Horner, the senior director of litigation for ATI’s Environmental Law Center. “Then came a pressure campaign in which groups including People for the American Way and ACLU sought political intervention in the process. On May 2, 2011, UVA promised they would send some documents three days later. As of May 13, 2011, ATI had not received a single document under their request.”

Maybe the dog ate them. One does have to marvel at ATI’s patience in waiting for UVA to respond to the requests. But patience has its limits and so, they are heading to court in an attempt to force the school to do what the law requires of it.

We interview Chris Horner about this matter and much more surrounding Michael Mann, UVA and the alternating instances of foot-dragging and grandstanding in this matter on “The Score” last month. Seems it’s time to have Chris back on the show…

(Cross-posted at Score Radio Network)

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