After more than a decade since its initiation, a defamation lawsuit filed by renowned climate scientist Michael Mann is set to go to trial this week. Mann, an earth and environmental scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, alleges that online attacks by a rightwing blogger and an analyst amount to defamation.
Initiated in 2012, the legal action targets two individuals: Rand Simberg, an analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who likened Mann to a convicted serial child molester in a published piece, and Mark Steyn, a National Review blogger who, in a blogpost, quoted Simberg favorably and referred to Mann's research as "fraudulent." While Mann initially pursued legal action against both publishers as well, a court ruling in 2021 determined that neither the Competitive Enterprise Institute nor the National Review could be held responsible for the attacks.
The trial is occurring against a backdrop of growing concerns about increased online abuse directed at climate scientists and the proliferation of misinformation regarding the climate crisis.
Mann's legal battle is seen as part of a broader campaign against him by a network of climate skeptics associated with the fossil fuel billionaire Charles Koch. The Competitive Enterprise Institute, advocating against "climate alarmism," has financial ties to the Charles Koch Foundation, while the National Review regularly publishes articles dismissing climate science concern as alarmist and has received funding linked to Koch.
The attacks on Mann intensified after he co-published the famous "hockey stick" graph in 1998, illustrating unprecedented global warming in the last century. This drew the attention of groups within the Koch network, leading to freedom of information requests and a subpoena served by a Republican congressman supported by a Pac established by Koch.
Opening statements for the trial are set to commence on Thursday, with livestreaming available. The trial is scheduled to continue through at least February 6, with its conclusion dependent on a jury verdict.