Bishop Hill Doctor Mann, I presume?
Feb 22, 2014 Climate: Mann Steve McIntyre's latest post at Climate Audit includes the extraordinary revelation that Michael Mann's latest submission to the courts regarding his libel suit includes a doctored quote. The offending words purport to be an excerpt from the Russell inquiry report, but, demonstrating a startling disregard for the court, the excerpt has been altered to make it look as if Mann had been exonerated by Russell. However, this has been done so badly as to make the alteration fairly obvious.
Later in the Reply Memorandum (page 19), Mann purported to provide the requested supporting quotation from the Muir Russell report showing that the supposed exoneration was not limited to “CRU scientists”, but extended more generally to “the scientists”, including Mann himself:
Three months later, the University of East Anglia published the Independent Climate Change Email Review report, prepared under the oversight of Sir Muir Russell. The report examined whether manipulation or suppression of data occurred and concluded that “the scientists’ rigor and honesty are not in doubt. [my bold][38 – Muir Russell Report]“
But watch carefully here. The exact phrase within quotation marks doesn’t actually occur in the Muir Russell report: I noticed this because of the American spelling “rigor” rather than the English spelling “rigour” which would have resulted from a cut-and-paste. The actual quotation from the Muir Russell report (shown below) clearly limits its findings to CRU scientists,as National Review and CEI had asserted and contradicting both Mann’s complaint and blustery reply:
On the specific allegations made against the behaviour of CRU scientists, we find that their rigour and honesty as scientists are not in doubt.
Had Mann’s Reply Memorandum provided the actual quotation, it would have confirmed National Review’s and CEI’s claim that the Muir Russell had confined its findings to “CRU scientists”, but not in the quotation as altered by Mann and/or his lawyers.
Reader Comments (158)
Trouble here is that Russell 'exhonoration' of CRU 'science' is just as mendacious as Mann. Layer upon layer of deceit.
Skepticalscience upped and... changed the text right under everyone's noses! No acknowledgement, no explanation, no nothing.
At least they decided to grow a pair and throw Mann under the bus. They realised they were at the tail end of what had become something akin to a fabrication.
And why should they be? There's only so far you can go carrying the water for Mann. Cook's quote creation, from wherever obtained, would have dragged him and his crew down.
One on hand you have Steyn representing himself, and on the other hand, you have some of the expensive lawyers money can buy, apparently copy-pasting material from substandard sources. What jokes.
Shub - yes they have changed "rigor" to "rigour" in their post but didn't in their copy and paste response to comment 22. So they have both versions of the spelling in quotes on the same thread.
Sharp as bowling balls.
Nick, where did you get this quote from?
'Oh dear! And did this mislead the judge? Well, you judge. She recorded it as
“’rigor and honesty of the CRU scientists was not in doubt,”'
"One on hand you have Steyn representing himself, and on the other hand, you have some of the expensive lawyers money can buy.."
I think that works in Steyn's favour. He knows the subject and can focus on it - the lawyers will be fighting each other for the best bits and going off at tangents. A sort of bum steer review...
'Layer upon layer of deceit.' ~ Philip Foster
One could even go so far as to say 'lawyer upon lawyer of deceit.'
Didn't know Michael Mann had signed for Chelsea. Giving Terry a run for his money.
Grant
Look at the date on the first comment on the page: 3rd Dec 2009.