My American Tradition Institute colleague Chris Horner reports today at the Daily Caller that a NOAA inspector has dug up proof of deception in Penn State’s Wite Out investigation of Climategate scientist Michael Mann:

The key point is that the Penn State investigators never interviewed a principal who was able to confirm or deny a key charge against “Hockey Stick” lead author of “Hide the Decline” infamy Michael Mann. This individual has now been interviewed, and what he told federal investigators has indicted Mann and Penn State.

The inspector general’s report specifically reveals Penn State’s wagon-circlers to have been at best comically negligent/inept in allowing Mann to not answer the damning charge they were tasked with examining: did he delete or ask others to delete records? At worst, they were complicit in the cover-up.

Simply by interviewing Mann’s colleague Eugene Wahl, PSU would have exposed Mann’s “answer” for what it was (and wasn’t). Such an interview was obviously necessary for any inquiry. Penn State chose not to conduct it, for its own reasons. A federal inspector general has now conducted it. And the result is damning of both Mann and the parties that chose not to interview Wahl.

Climate Audit’s Steve McIntyre has the relevant points of the transcripted interview between the NOAA IG and Wahl:

Q. Did you ever receive a request by either Michael Mann or any others to delete any emails?
A. I did receive that email. That’s the last one on your list here. I did receive that.
Q. So, how did you actually come about receiving that? Did you actually just - he just forward the - Michael Mann - and it was Michael Mann I guess?
A. Yes
Q. - That you received the email from?
A. Correct …
A. To my knowledge, I just received a forward from him.
Q. And what were the actions that you took?
A. Well, to the best of my recollection, I did delete the emails.

Horner explains the shortcomings of the sponge-bathers at PSU:

Penn State asked Mann and only Mann if he destroyed records or was indirectly involved in destroying records. Mann said only that he did not destroy records. And that did it. Even though Phil Jones asked Mann to instruct Wahl to do so as well.

Allow me to translate this in relevant part:

PSU: This is potentially very grave. We must know: Did you do A or B?

Mann: I did not do A.

PSU: Ah. There we go. It appears there is no evidence he did A or B.

Maybe now Pennsylvania legislators will see reason to investigate Mann, as Commonwealth Foundation requested over a year ago, since PSU has proven incapable of a competent review. Indeed, it’s time to “Mann up.”

Originally posted at Commonwealth Foundation.