Disclosure Obtained by ATI Environmental Law Center Shows the Wealth Keeps Flowing for Dr. James Hansen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 3, 2011
Contact: Paul Chesser, Executive Director, paul.chesser@atinstitute.org
As it waits for the resolution of its Freedom of Information Act lawsuit ( http://bit.ly/nnKpxS ) against the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which seeks the outside employment permission records of global warming activist Dr. James Hansen, American Tradition Institute’s Environmental Law Center has received the belatedly filed 2010 public financial disclosure of the renowned director of the NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
ATI obtained Dr. Hansen’s Form SF 278, which is required to be filed annually, also under the Freedom of Information Act. The disclosure revealed that Dr. Hansen received between $236,000 and $1,232,500 in outside income in 2010 relating to his taxpayer-funded employment, which included:
• Between $26,008 and $72,500 in honoraria for speeches;
• Between $150,001 and $1.1 million in prizes;
• Just under $60,000 in the form of in-kind income for travel to his many outside-income generating activities
The travel reporting marked the first time Hansen detailed such “in-kind” benefits, which included apparent first-class travel for him and his wife on trips to Australia, Japan, and Norway. The new detail raises the question of whether Dr. Hansen wrongly submitted forms in previous years, which he left blank and attested “none” in the space where he is required to report travel expenses taken as part of his outside employment, all in years in which he was busy with numerous paid outside activities of the same sort as he was in 2010.
“Now that Dr. Hansen’s outside income has come under scrutiny, we see a newfound attention to detail on forms where he reports about these sources,” said Christopher Horner, ATI’s director of litigation. “It also shows that Dr. Hansen continues to enjoy a healthy level of earnings that supplement – and for his curious exploitation of – the taxpayer-funded position he holds.”
As ATI detailed in its current lawsuit against NASA in federal court in Washington, Dr. Hansen admits this income began after he escalated his public – and often political – global warming advocacy, for which outside parties have spectacularly rewarded him.
ATI sued NASA because the agency refuses to make public any forms 17-60 – the application for permission for outside employment – by invoking the Privacy Act and calling their release “a clearly unwarranted violation’ of Hansen’s privacy.” These forms would demonstrate to the public and Congress whether NASA has signed off on Hansen’s lucrative activities, even though they raise serious questions under Ethics in Government Act rules. NASA’s withholding of the 17-60s is improper because Dr. Hansen, like other federal employees of the highest levels of pay and responsibility, waives certain privacy interests as a condition of his employment. Dr. Hansen is required to file the permission forms before most or all of his outside employment activities.
These requirements that cover Dr. Hansen include annual public financial disclosure that is vastly more detailed and personal than the one-page application for permission for outside employment and other activities. This is also true of senior government officials including Members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, the President and Vice President.
ATI expects the media will share its curiosity about Dr. Hansen’s records at NASA, considering they have shown similar recent interest in others’ disclosures. For example:
• The Wall Street Journal‘s recent coverage ( http://on.wsj.com/oqypvi ) about Congress members’ public financial disclosures
• The Huffington Post on Thursday reported that some Democrats demand ( http://huff.to/oBI82s ) an investigation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s filings and the propriety of his wife’s income
• The New York Times‘ recently published a (serially corrected) 2700-word piece ( http://nyti.ms/pbIpcC ) that highlighted how public servants are “restricted from using their positions ‘for personal gain’ or on matters in which they have a direct financial interest,” and how they “must avoid outside work that can pose a ‘time conflict,’ and ‘detract from [the employee’s] full time and attention to his official duties,’” as those rules “were designed to promote the notion of a full-time [employee].”
“That Dr. Hansen very well may be the country’s first millionaire bureaucrat — thanks to this flood of outside income since 2006 all clearly related to his public employment – raises similar questions,” Horner said. “Given his high profile and the significant role attributed to him in the climate debate, his and NASA’s own record on this front should generate at least as much interest.”
See Dr. James Hansen’s 2010 SF 278 disclosure form here: http://bit.ly/oVJX1e
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So, let me see if I can understand how this works,,,
If I want to bribe government officials, I establish some kind of annual ‘prize’ for the government official that best advances my goal. I publicize it, and then I can choose who gets the ‘prize’.
Let the rats fall all over each other to win my ‘prize’, and I bribe not only the winner, but everyone who strives to win it.
Seems easy enough.
lmao at shewonka the policy lass’s obssessive response
http://metaclimate.org/2011/10/03/witch-hunts-inquisitions-and-the-denialist-attack-on-climate-science/#more-1384
@ur momisugly Frank K.
Oh, you mean civil disobedience like Rosa Parks did, and those gentlemen of the Enllightenment known as the Founding Fathers. Looks like Hansen’s in good company.
J Bowers says:
“As for your claim that Hansens breaking the law, well, you need to watch out for your own preposterous statements.”
J Bowers just needs to get up to speed on Hansen the scofflaw. Here, I’ll help:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/08/29/nasas-james-hansen-arrested-yet-again
Hansen’s acceptance of the
Blue Planet Prize (Asahi Glass Foundation), $600k
seems ok. This is an obviously “green” award. Other notable winners
2004 Dr. Susan Solomon
1993 Dr. Charles D. Keeling
1992 Dr. Syukuro Manabe
full list – there are links to the associated lectures – text, slides, and video.
Rosa Parks wasn’t emitting alarmist propaganda on the public’s payroll.
Robert Clemenzi says:
October 3, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Hansen’s acceptance of the
Blue Planet Prize (Asahi Glass Foundation), $600k
seems ok.
====================================================
I disagree. It doesn’t seem ok. It seems like payola for Hansen’s advocacy and his use of his official government position. Like I’ve stated before, I don’t begrudge Hansen the money. It simply isn’t proper for him to be accepting such gifts given his official capacity. This clearly creates a conflict of interests.
“Roas Parks wasn’t emitting alarmist propaganda on the public’s payroll.”
You could perhaps spend time more wisely questioning a certain Virginia AG’s spending of the public purse for his own political gain, the complete distortions of Hansen’s work given to publicly funded Congressional hearings, or even the Bush administration’s publicly funded distortions of Hansen’s work.
To those who think they are on to something regarding the on-demand Promissory Note for 250,000 ~ 500,000 et al … I would like to call to your attention where it is shown CLEARLY in column 1 of those entries that these are marked as “EXAMPLES” on how and what to describe for those categories of financial relationships …
http://www.atinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ATI-NASA-Hansen-SF-278-2010.pdf
.
This is another example of a Law that was passed specifically to prevent the type of abuse of an official position displayed by Hansen.
However, the law is applied selectively in practice. The requirement to submit financial disclosure reports goes to a fairly low level in the Federal work force. I think is goes down to the GS-13 level, but definitely down to the GS-14 level.
Now, if someone at the GS-13 or 14 level violated the law against profiting from your official position, let me assure you, they would be prosecuted to the fullest extent, but someone at a higher level can violate the rules with impunity. In that way we are just like a third world country. Its this kind of thing that causes disrespect for the law.
Another example is the prohibition for Federal employees to work for a contractor that was under their oversight in any way for at least a year after Federal employment in most instances and prohibited for a lifetime in other specific circumstances. Once again, the prohibition is strictly enforced for low level Federal Employees who couldn’t influence a contractor or contract if they wanted to, but is violated with impunity by higher level Federal Employees, usually political appointees.
Hansen should be prosecuted and go to jail. This is a clear, straight-forward case of violating Federal Employee conflict of interest laws.
He is a private citizen, your public exposure of what he earns is disgraceful and is nothing more than an admission of failure on your behalf that you have lost the debate on Science and are now moving into attacking the person. epic fail.
I wonder if Hansen was one of Solyndra investors that gets paid before us taxpayers?
I think what you are missing is that the money is awarded by the foundation of a commercial solar company who has given the award to scientists whose work directly or indirectly advances the commercial interests of the commercial solar company (Asahi Glass Company). I don’t think there is anything wrong with the Asahi foundation offering a science prize. But I think its improper for a government official to take this sort of money. If Hansen were not a government official and was simply a scientist working in the field, then I would have no problem with it.
Hansen, as a government official, influences Administration policy on solar –> Administration provides subsidies to solar industry –> Solar industry provides payment to Hansen.
Susan Solomon of NOAA also received payments from Asahi under the scheme.
How would this be any different from the pork industry offering a prize to an EPA official who managed to write a report that got the federal government to provide subsidies (for example) to the pork industry?
criminogenicjamesc says:
“He is a private citizen, your public exposure of what he earns is disgraceful…” &etc.
Wrong. James Hansen is a public figure who is repeatedly in the news by personal choice. He writes books. He gives interviews. He has himself arrested repeatedly.
And because of his public position in government, his pay and payola are in the public record.
You may retract your incorrect comment at any time.☺
criminogenicjamesc says:
October 3, 2011 at 4:51 pm
He is a private citizen, your public exposure of what he earns is disgraceful and is nothing more than an admission of failure on your behalf that you have lost the debate on Science and are now moving into attacking the person. epic fail.
===================================================================
Uhmm, no, no he’s not a private citizen. He works for the federal government. What is an epic fail is the blatant hypocrisy being exercised by Hansen apologists. They’ll go to any extent possible to try and tie a skeptical scientist to some perceived corruption by who pays their salaries. But, when an influential government employee is shown to take graft you want to howl about private citizens? Go skip, sis. It’s people like you that causes such pervasive cynicism about our government. You people don’t just expect it and accept it, you defend it!
It’s not the lack of ethics here; it’s the arrogance that ethics don’t count anymore. It’s a very worrying behavioral trend wherever you look these days – it’s not OK for others to ignore ethics but it’s OK for me to seems to be the way things are going. And I suggest D Marshall do some digging and report on Dr Spencer because i too would like to know just where the money is going and if Spencer has something to hide then I for one want to know about it. Don’t be lazy D Marshall – start digging. I genuinely look forward to hearing back from you.
criminogenicjamesc says:
October 3, 2011 at 4:51 pm
He is a private citizen,
=============================================
Good grief…..you don’t even know where the man works or what his job is
J Bowers says:
October 3, 2011 at 3:51 pm
@ur momisugly Frank K.
“Oh, you mean civil disobedience like Rosa Parks did, and those gentlemen of the Enllightenment known as the Founding Fathers. Looks like Hansen’s in good company.”
Hey, I’m just the messenger…you seemed surprised that someone would dare say that Hansen’s done something illegal. Just wanted to set the record straight. Of course, I could have also mentioned his testifying on behalf of the the English Powerplant Vandals/Thugs.
Hansen: Coal plant vandals actions ‘justified’ because of ‘emergency situation’
“James Hansen, the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City, is well known for rattling his nation’s political establishment. This week, the climate scientist was in London, UK, to testify on behalf of activists who defaced a coal-fired power station in Kent.”
—
And for the record, I find your analogy between Hansen’s actions as an eco-nut and Rosa Parks’ stand for civil rights thoroughly disgusting…
@4eyes & Smokey
If I had access and friends in high places, I would dig and report on all concerned. As I’ve stated numerous times, I want to see all the cards of all the players on the table and an end to innuendo, speculation and hearsay.
Regardless of who is right or wrong about the science, the timeline or the outcome, the issue is too important to us and future generations to continue this pointless game of alarmism and denial, of policticking and chicanery to drag on for decades.
We need to know, to understand and to, if need be, to act.
old construction worker says:
October 3, 2011 at 4:53 pm
“I wonder if Hansen was one of Solyndra investors that gets paid before us taxpayers?”
Unfortunately, I don’t think the taxpayers are going to get one dime of the $500 million back. Maybe we can sell the Disney-whistling Solyndra robots on eBay…
Hugh Pepper wrote;
“By demonizing him, you deny your readers and correspondents (sic) the opportunity to benefit from the richness of his work.”
WHAT………. “the richness of his work” You are being sarcastic right ???
He made predictions 30 years AGO (three full decades) that have not come true unless you broil, fricassee, steam, fry, boil, roast, bake, grill and finally COOK the books. Said books that he is the chief accountant of.
Seems the only “richness” going on here is from my pocket to his as a US taxpayer, and from dupes who pay to hear his alarmist DRIVEL………
Sounds like a crime here, Methinks “Dr.” Hansen should be calling some good attorney’s about January of 2013.
Cheers, Kevin.
@D Marshall says:
October 3, 2011 at 2:36 pm
“@HR / Smokey I’ll say it again – Everyone who’s in the game has to come clean.”
[snip]
The players I’m paying for, yeah. No argument from me.
“Also, HR, are you claiming to be a completely neutral, disinterested 3rd party for your homeowner’s association?”
Nope. My interests are aligned with my neighbors’ interests. My point was that That they didn’t have to pay me to align my interests with their interests..
“Would you have acted differently if you were paid?”
Nope, but it sure would have been nice. Being a volunteer board member just about anywhere is a thankless task. All the time spent, all the headaches, all the complaining of what should have been done (except “don’t ask me to do it”); a few bucks would have taken out some of the sting. Volunteer Board Member is not a good career choice. You mentioned Dr. Spencer served on a couple of boards and didn’t specify whether it was as a volunteer (which a lot of people do – e.g. myself) or for expenses or for booty beyond the wildest imagination. I don’t know. You tell me.
I mentioned that you didn’t finish the job. Show me the money Dr. Spencer may or may not have received so we can all speculate, Otherwise I don’t quite get your point as it relates to the information about Dr. Hansen as given in the posted article. It was that simple.
BTW, you forgot to mention book income. They have both written books and received income from those books. They both put in the time writing them at a risk of no worthwhile return so they both deserve any returns they get. They’re selling their respective POV and I’d imagine the market will indicate which POV is more compelling.
My speculation re Dr. Hansen in one of the earlier comments? I didn’t see it detailed out in the main article so I wondered if he was given travel expenses for attending the various protests. That would be passing strange. If OTOH it’s out of his own pocket, the travel and bail expenses seem to be well within his means, eh?
Surely no one thinks Dr. Hansen has been in any way motivated by money? That would be akin to saying Al Gore’s getting filthy rich off AGW was anything but a happy coincidence. No! It’s the oil company money that corrupts. Green money is different. Green money is pure. Green money does not corrupt; it ennobles its recipient.
Note to the “humor challenged”. My last post was “sarcasm”
I never knew being a scientist could be so lucrative–I surely don’t make that kind of money. But then, my work is based on analysis of data to form hypotheses, not forming hypotheses and desperately massaging the data to fit.
Guess I’ll never be a rich scientist.