U.Va. document dispute to continue into next year

Arguments over access to climate change records held by the University of Virginia won't be heard by the state Supreme Court until next year, according to the Virginia Attorney General's Office suing to get them.

Pending before the state high court is an appeal of a ruling that denied Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's demand for the files of former U.Va. professor Michael Mann, a global warming scientist, as part of an investigation into possible fraud.

A global warming skeptic, Cuccinelli has pursued records in the university's possession for more than a year on the premise that some of Mann's grant work was taxpayer-funded and therefore should be subject to formal scrutiny.

The university has fought to block Cuccinelli from obtaining those materials, arguing it isn't a proper subject for his subpoena.

Mann was among the scientists ensnared in Climategate, a 2009 controversy over leaked correspondence between global warming researchers that critics say evince scientific misconduct in support of climate change theories.

Those who believe in man-made climate change, however, respond that Mann's work and conduct have withstood scientific review and academic inquiries.

Cuccinelli last year appealed the lower court ruling of his record demand to the Supreme Court and separately filed a revised request that was considered, but not acted on, in Albemarle County Circuit Court last month.

-- Julian Walker

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