Supreme Court Denies Cuccinelli Access to Climate Scientist's Records

RICHMOND -- Virginia’s highest court has ruled that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli cannot force the University of Virginia to turn over records dealing with the work of Michael Mann, a climate scientist who worked at the university between 1999 and 2005.

In an opinion released this morning, the state Supreme Court ruled that the university cannot be the subject of a “civil investigative demand” issued by the state attorney general under the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act.

Global warming skeptics have targeted Mann for criticism, but multiple inquiries have produced no findings that Mann manipulated data. Mann's defenders have characterized Cuccinelli's effort as a witchhunt.