Congressman doubles down, accuses NOAA scientists of doctoring results

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas). (credit: Photograph by Ryan J. Reilly)

On Monday, we covered a series of requests (culminating in a subpoena) from Texas Congressman Lamar Smith (R). He sent the requests to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), demanding data and communications relating to a recent update of NOAA’s global surface temperature dataset. The NOAA provided Rep. Smith with all the data, methods, and explanation he requested but has refused to hand over the communications of its scientists, which it regards as protected. That’s where the subpoena came in.

We noted that although the demand for internal communications obviously implies suspicion of skullduggery, Rep. Smith had stopped short of actually accusing the NOAA of anything like that. That has changed with a statement Rep. Smith provided Nature for its news coverage of the subpoena.

The full statement, which Rep. Smith’s office provided to Ars, reads as follows:

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