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Science & Technology
Bad news for Michael Mann, hockey stick creator
2010-01-04
As I said yesterday, one of our jobs this year is to wipe the complacent smiles off the smug faces of the lobbyists, "experts", "scientists", politicians and activists pushing AGW.

This is why I am so glad to report that Michael Mann -- creator of the incredible Hockey Stick curve and one of the scientists most heavily implicated in the Climategate scandal -- is about to get a very nasty shock. When he turns up to work on Monday, he'll find that all 27 of his colleagues at the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University have received a rather tempting email inviting them to blow the whistle on anyone they know who may have been fraudulently misusing federal grant funds for climate research.

Under US law, regardless of whether or not a prosecution results, the whistleblower stands to make very large sums of money: it is based on a percentage of the total government funds which have been misused, in this case perhaps as much as $50 million. (Hat tip: John O'Sullivan of the wonderful new campaigning site www.climategate.com)

Here's that email in full:
Hi,

Greetings and best wishes for a prosperous New Year.

National Search

After the recent whistleblower revelations of emails between climate researchers and data from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit, there are on-going investigations into potential fraudulent use of grant funds in Climate Research in the US. I am assisting interested parties who may have details of fraud in climate research to make contact with the proper authorities, and to share in the rewards paid when the funds are recovered.

Whistleblower Rewards Program

The federal government has established vigorous programs to identify and prosecute fraudulent grant applications and administration. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) administers the False Claims Act. It allows rewards for those who come forward with details of grant fraud to share in the recovery of federal funds. This reward can be as much as 30% of the total amount reclaimed. The program is almost completely reliant on insiders to report their knowledge of the fraud in their institutions.

Attorney Literally "Wrote the Book" on Fraud Recovery Lawsuits

Joel Hesch, Esq., of Hesch and Associates, literally wrote the book on how to report federal fraud. He has an extensive background in representing whistleblowers in all types of federal funding fraud cases, including Educational/ Research Grant Fraud. According to Mr Hesch: "Many institutions receive grants, whether for research or educational purposes. When they lie to get the grant or keep the grant or if they use the funds for purposes outside the grant, they are liable under the DOJ program. There have been many grant cases brought by whistleblowers. "

If you know of anyone who might have details about fraudulent statements or actions by recipients of federal grant funds for climate research, please have them contact me immediately at the below email or cell phone. Alternatively, they may also contact Mr Hersch directly, and let him know that they were referred by me. All communications are completely confidential. They may want to consider using a third party email service (Yahoo, Hotmail, or other) instead of work email to communicate.
30% of $50 million is more than $12 million. Ask your friends to do the right thing, and be rewarded for doing it.

Our country, and in fact, the entire world is counting on someone to stand up and tell the truth about climate research. The effects of moving forward with taxes and policies based on fraudulent science could potentially cripple the US economy and cost lives and jobs for generations.

Look forward to hearing from you.
All the best

Kent Clizbe

Happy New Year, Climategaters.
Posted by:Steve White

#10  This will certainly bring home to Professor Mann's colleagues that theirs is no longer a privileged and protected position. Even if nobody responds to the lawyer directly, they are certainly going to be checking their files and lab notebooks to see how badly they exposed to similar letters about their own work.
Posted by: trailing wife   2010-01-04 22:49  

#9  Personally, I think the man peaked with Miami Vice and Last of the Mohicans; it's been all downhill since then.

Oh, wait, not that Michael Mann.

Never mind....
Posted by: Mike   2010-01-04 16:30  

#8  We're looking for shovel-ready projects.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2010-01-04 15:31  

#7  Whatever the lawyer's reasons, it is funny as hell.
Posted by: DarthVader   2010-01-04 11:19  

#6  If it is like the IRS whistleblower program, the reward is based on the amount the govt recovers, not on the total fraud.

Given that federally funded research is mostly a reimbursement program (that is, you do work, submit a voucher and, it the voucher is approved you get a payment) I don't see how the reward will be much at all.

The lawyer may doing this for the publicity.
Posted by: lord garth   2010-01-04 09:05  

#5  Gromky: 1/3 to 1/2, depending ...
Posted by: Steve White   2010-01-04 08:07  

#4  ......what's a lawyer's motivation?

The same as the lawyers who advertise constantly on television trolling for participants that have used some drug or product that has been recalled or those that do Social Security disability claims for those denied. They get to add their 'costs' to the final bill. Sic a dog on a dog. Works for me. Time to feed a new breed of lawyer that follows grant monies.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2010-01-04 07:51  

#3  It's not going to help. It's just some ambulance chaser trying to make a buck. Calling this "bad news" for the bad guys is just wishful thinking. Anyone who blew the whistle on warmist fraud wouldn't do it for the money...what's a lawyer's motivation?
Posted by: gromky   2010-01-04 01:49  

#2  Well, gromky, IMHO if this helps expose and discredit the AGW charlatans, then the lawyer is doing all of us a service.
Posted by: PBMcL   2010-01-04 00:54  

#1  How much of the 30% does the lawyer get? Come on, he's not sending this email out of altruism, he's doing it to get money, just like any attorney.
Posted by: gromky   2010-01-04 00:25  

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