US Climate Scientist Michael Mann Wins $1m in Defamation Lawsuit
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US climate scientist Michael Mann wins $1m in defamation lawsuit
The high-profile climate scientist Michael Mann has been awarded $1m by a jury in a defamation lawsuit against two conservative writers who compared his depictions of global heating to the work of a convicted child molester.
The case stretches back 12 years. In a statement posted on Mann's X account, one of his lawyers said: "Today's verdict vindicates Mike Mann's good name and reputation. It also is a big victory for truth and scientists everywhere who dedicate their lives answering vital scientific questions impacting human health and the planet."
[...] Emails from Mann and other scientists were leaked in 2009 in an incident known as "Climategate", with climate denialists claiming Mann manipulated data. Investigations by Penn State and others, including an examination of the emails by the Associated Press, found no misuse of data by Mann.
Regardless, in 2012, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian think tank, published a blogpost by Rand Simberg that compared investigations by Penn State University into Mann's work with the case of Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant football coach who was convicted of sexually assaulting multiple children.
According to the Mann legal team's statement, the four-week jury trial in the District of Columbia superior court resulted in punitive damages of $1,000 against Simberg and $1,000,000 against Steyn.
"I hope this verdict sends a message that falsely attacking climate scientists is not protected speech," Mann said.
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