Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s civil investigation into the work of former UVA climate scientist Michael Mann is on hold for a while. As the Washington Post reports, UVA no longer needs to respond to Cuccinelli’s Civil Investigative Demand (CID) by July 26; rather, compliance is stayed while the Albemarle County Circuit Court considers UVA’s petition to set aside the CID entirely.
"The CIDs are deficient under the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act [FATA]…and their sweeping scope is certain to send a chill through the Commonwealth’s colleges and universities," reads UVA’s petition. Some researchers and scientists have suggested Cuccinelli’s investigation might pose a threat to academic freedom, which has also generated interesting conversation at spots like Slate.com about the parameters of "academic freedom." Cuccinelli rejected the notion that his investigation violates academic freedom.
Read the court’s consent order here. Or, mark your calendars for the August 20 hearing.