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Since early 2006, Robert Cobb, the inspector general of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has been under investigation for allegations of misconduct. After a review of 79 allegations, in early 2007, the Integrity Committee of the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE), an organization of agency inspectors general, issued a report finding that Mr. Cobb had abused his authority and demonstrated the appearance of a lack of independence from the agency’s top officials, particularly Sean O’Keefe, NASA’s former administrator. Most of the allegations came from current and former employees of NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).

Witnesses

Panel 1

• Ms. Evelyn R. Klemstine
• Mr. Kevin Winters

Panel 2

• Mr. Paul Morrell
• Mr. Michael Wholley

24/05/2007 at 10:00AM

Redacting the Science of Climate Change, Government Accountability Project Report

Witnesses

• Dr. James J. McCarthy, Alexander Agassiz Professor of Biological Oceanography, Harvard University, Board Member, Union of Concerned Scientists
• Sheldon Rampton, SourceWatch, Co-Author of “Trust Us, We’re Experts!”
• Tarek Maassarani, Government Accountability Project
• Jeff Kueter, George C. Marshall Institute

28/03/2007 at 02:00PM

On Monday, March 19, 2007, the Committee held a second oversight hearing on allegations of political interference with government climate change science. Witnesses at the hearing included the former Chief of Staff of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the current Chairman of CEQ, the Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and a former NASA public affairs officer. At the hearing, the Committee examined evidence of White House efforts to minimize the significance of climate change.

Witnesses

Panel I

• Philip Cooney, former Chief of Staff, White House Council on Environmental Quality
• Dr. James Hansen, Director, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• George Deutsch, former public affairs officer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Panel II

• James Connaughton, Chairman, White House Council on Environmental Quality

Panel III

• Dr. Roy Spencer, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Transcript

• transcript

19/03/2007 at 10:00AM

The Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on January 30 regarding political interference in the work of government climate change scientists. In preparation for the hearing, Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis have requested documents from the Council on Environmental Quality related to allegations that officials edited scientific reports and took other actions to minimize the significance of climate change.

Witnesses

• Dr. Drew Shindell, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA
• Mr. Rick Piltz, former Senior Associate, U.S. Climate Change Science Program
• Dr. Francesca Grifo, Senior Scientist and Director of the Scientific Integrity Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
• Dr. Roger Pielke, Jr., Professor in the University of Colorado’s Environmental Studies Program and a Fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Evnvironmental Sciences.

Transcript

• transcript

30/01/2007 at 10:00AM