A climate scientist’s legal win just got flipped on its head
Michael Mann, the climate scientist famous for his “hockey stick” graph, won a $1 million defamation case — but a judge has now slashed the award, sanctioned his lawyers, and ordered him to pay over $500,000 in legal fees.
Dino Grandoni reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Mann initially won a defamation case against two conservative commentators who falsely accused him of academic fraud, comparing his climate research to child molestation.
- A judge has now ruled that Mann’s lawyers misrepresented financial damages, reducing his award and ordering him to pay legal costs for National Review, one of the publishers of the defamatory content.
- Mann’s legal team plans to appeal, arguing the original defamation ruling remains valid and that the court made significant legal and factual errors.
Key quote:
[Mann] “believes that the court committed errors of fact and law and will pursue these matters further.”
— Peter J. Fontaine, one of Michael Mann’s attorneys
Why this matters:
Mann’s case is a stunning reversal in a proceeding that was supposed to be a victory for scientists fighting back against disinformation. While the original ruling confirmed he was defamed, the reversal raises concerns about how courts handle cases involving scientists facing politically motivated attacks and could have a chilling effect on researchers speaking out against disinformation.
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