Craig McLean, acting chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is investigating whether a statement put out by his agency backing up President Donald Trump’s deluded claims about Alabama potentially being impacted by Hurricane Dorian was an ethical breach.
According to the Washington Post, McLean called the statement, which admonished the Birmingham branch of the agency for contradicting the President’s incorrect forecast, “political.”
“The content of this press release is very concerning as it compromises the ability of NOAA to convey life-saving information necessary to avoid substantial and specific danger to public health and safety,” he added in an email obtained by the Post. “If the public cannot trust our information, or we debase our forecaster’s warnings and products, that specific danger arises.”
The unsigned NOAA statement, posted on Friday, sent more shockwaves through the now days-long story, which included the President seemingly altering a map of Hurricane Dorian with a Sharpie to undergird his incorrect conviction that Alabama was in the path of danger.
The investigation will conclude that there’s nothing to see here, everything was on the up-and-up, and the Birmingham folks were incorrect to correct the record.
The Trump presidency is so fucked up in every aspect.
Goodbye, Mr. McLean, it was good to know you. Thanks for trying. At least you should be able to find a good job in the private sector.
(McLean is a career scientist and lawyer who has worked for NOAA for nearly 30 years and was first promoted to head the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research by the Obama administration. https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/craig-mclean-named-new-leader-for-noaa-research)
‘ETHICS’? You’re asking us to believe that you guys care about ‘ethics’? WTF? You pretended that the POTUS somehow did NOT have access to the most CURRENT information and somehow had to rely on 4-day old projections put out by media. And now you’re going ‘probe’?
At least there’s one senior executive at NOAA with balls.