MR. GLOBAL WARMING CHARGED IN SUIT – AT 10:17 A.M. ET:  James Hansen, a major NASA executive, has been one of the most passionate advocates of the global warming scare.  You could even call him "Mr. Global Warming."  His perch as head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies has given him a kind of credibility that others might not have.

Now, however, a group is claiming that Hansen has profited handsomely from his "advocacy."  From Fox:

The NASA scientist who once claimed the Bush administration tried to "silence" his global warming claims is now accused of receiving more than $1.2 million from the very environmental organizations whose agenda he advocated.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Washington, D.C., a group claims NASA is withholding documents that show James Hansen failed to comply with ethics rules and financial disclosures regarding substantial compensation he earned outside his $180,000 taxpayer-paid position as director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

"Hansen's office appears to be somewhat of a rogue operation. It's clearly a taxpayer-funded global warming advocacy organization," said Chris Horner, a co-founder of The American Tradition Institute, which filed the lawsuit. "The real issue here is, has Hansen been asking NASA in writing, in advance, for permission for these outside activities? We have reason to believe that has not been occurring."

COMMENT:  Obviously, Hansen is entitled to the presumption of innocence.  However, we have long argued here that money, and lots of it, is fueling a good part of the global-warming debate. 

In his January, 1961, farewell address to the nation, the famous "industrial-military complex" speech, President Eisenhower cautioned about the impact that federal grants could have on the integrity of science.  He was correct.  If federal grants might influence scientific "outcomes," then outside fees and "awards" can have the same effect.  We should be on guard.

June 22, 2011