Debating FOIA and Michael Mann
By Norman Leahy | Friday, October 28th, 2011 | Policy, VirginiaTomorrow at 12:30 PM at Monticello’s Smith Learning Center, the Virginia Coalition for Open Government will host what it calls “a panel on the controversy over access to former UVA professor Michael Mann’s email.” The featured participants are:
Michael Halpern of the Union of Concerned Scientists
Chris Horner of the American Tradition Institute
Christian Trejbal from the Roanoke Times
This ought to be quite the discussion, considering Horner and ATI managed, via FOIA litigation, to finally convince the University of Virginia to begin releasing former UVA Prof. Michael Mann’s email files — files the University at one time maintained didn’t exist, then admitted they were still around, but then refused to let anyone see them.
The Union of Concerned Scientists and a gaggle of other groups urged UVA to keep the files closed. Even in defeat, they continue to take the position that Mann’s taxpayer-funded work, produced on taxpayer-purchased equipment, should remain hidden from those same taxpayers.
Should be interesting. Plus, attendees can get reduced admission tickets to tour Monticello.
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About the author
Norm Leahy has written about Virginia and national politics online since 2002, beginning with One Man's Trash (OMT), and continuing through Bacon's Rebellion (both the blog and the e-zine), Sic Semper Tyrannis, NBC12's Decision Virginia, Richmond.com and Tertium Quids. He is the chief blogger at "The Score" and a producer of "The Score" radio show as well as being a Washington Post contributor.
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One Response to "Debating FOIA and Michael Mann"
Maybe the libel lawsuit by Dr. Mann against Dr. Ball mentioned in the post by Paul Driessen will accomplish by subpoena what FOIA hasn’t in also obtaining “Climategate emails; computer codes and data used, misused or used selectively to generate global warming spikes in historical graphs; and questionable research or proposals used to secure additional government grants, misinform citizens or lawmakers, or promote costly or harmful public policies.” which hasn’t up to now worked by UVA stonewalling any and all requests for this publically funded research.
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