(Received via email direct from Heartland president Bast in advance of their website posting, see Gleick’s statement/confession here – Anthony)
FEBRUARY 20, 2012: Earlier this evening, Peter Gleick, a prominent figure in the global warming movement, confessed to stealing electronic documents from The Heartland Institute in an attempt to discredit and embarrass a group that disagrees with his views.
Gleick’s crime was a serious one. The documents he admits stealing contained personal information about Heartland staff members, donors, and allies, the release of which has violated their privacy and endangered their personal safety.
An additional document Gleick represented as coming from The Heartland Institute, a forged memo purporting to set out our strategies on global warming, has been extensively cited by newspapers and in news releases and articles posted on Web sites and blogs around the world. It has caused major and permanent damage to the reputations of The Heartland Institute and many of the scientists, policy experts, and organizations we work with.
A mere apology is not enough to undo the damage.
In his statement, Gleick claims he committed this crime because he believed The Heartland Institute was preventing a “rational debate” from taking place over global warming. This is unbelievable. Heartland has repeatedly asked for real debate on this important topic. Gleick himself was specifically invited to attend a Heartland event to debate global warming just days before he stole the documents. He turned down the invitation.
Gleick also claims he did not write the forged memo, but only stole the documents to confirm the content of the memo he received from an anonymous source. This too is unbelievable. Many independent commentators already have concluded the memo was most likely written by Gleick.
We hope Gleick will make a more complete confession in the next few days.
We are consulting with legal counsel to determine our next steps and plan to release a more complete statement about the situation tomorrow. In the meantime, we ask again that publishers, bloggers, and Web site hosts take the stolen and fraudulent documents off their sites, remove defamatory commentary based on them, and issue retractions.
# # #
For more information, contact Jim Lakely, communications director of The Heartland Institute, at 312/377-4000 or jlakely@heartland.org.
Joseph Bast
President
The Heartland Institute
One South Wacker Drive #2740
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone 312/377-4000
Email jbast “at”heartland.org
Web site http://www.heartland.org
Support The Heartland Institute today!
Skiphil says:
February 20, 2012 at 9:22 pm
““As one environmental campaigner said: “Now it’s gone nuclear.”””
Nuclear self-immolation.
Goldie says: “Don’t think for one second this is over – back to the barricades!”
Right, unfortunately. There are plenty more where Gleick came from; he’s just the first one to get caught.
Gleick’s a bit of a hero actually. He single handedly exposed the going’s on behind the curtains at Heartland. He even got the head honcho at Heartland to email him the info – I love it!
Heartland reckons the release has violated their privacy (climategate anyone?) and endangered their personal safety.
“endangered their personal safety”?!… that’s a tad melodramatic doncha think!
and Desmoglob doesn’t give a @ur momisugly@@ur momisugly@ either, There saying what he did was great! I hope HI takes them ALL to court
http://www.desmogblog.com/
Theo Goodwin says:
February 20, 2012 at 10:01 pm
“Maybe a NYT science reporter will take this opportunity to begin pursuing his redemption.”
Rather would the pope recite the Lord’s Prayer backwards.
It is clear Peter Gleick is the one having problems with rational thought.
The most entertaining aspect of all this is watching Andy Revkin throw Gleick under the bus. Now it’s “every man for himself!”
“It has caused major and permanent damage…….”
As part of the settlement Peter Gleick should be required to make a public confession, a statement, that is aired on CNN, Fox, and every other media giant.
Doctor Gleick did rush to leak
Some private papers he stole
“I’ll break any laws
To futher my cause,
I’m a highly ethical soul!”
When Heartland’s lawyers get done they aren’t going to need donations any more. In fact they will be fully funded by the warming alarmists. Won’t that just be sweet.
Joe Bast Says:
Gleick also claims he did not write the forged memo, …
NO HE DOES NOT.
Look at what the man wrote, not what he wants you to read.
At the beginning of 2012, I received an anonymous document in the mail describing what appeared to be details of the Heartland Institute’s climate program strategy.
He says he recieved an anonymous document. He doesn’t say the “anonymous document” was the faked document. The 2012 Proposed Budget “describes what appear to be details of the Heartland Institute’s climate program strategy.” The anonymous document could have been that document, or some other document that we haven’t seen.
Given the potential impact however, I attempted to confirm the accuracy of the information in this document. In an effort to do so, and in a serious lapse of my own and professional judgment and ethics, I solicited and received additional materials directly from the Heartland Institute under someone else’s name..
He committed wire fraud, identity theft and other crimes to get more documents.
I forwarded, anonymously, the documents I had received to a set of journalists and experts working on climate issues.
He says he forwarded the documents that he received – by which he maybe taken to mean the documents he recieved from Heartland. He doesn’t say that he forwarded the “anonymous document”, nor does he deny sending documents other than those that he recieved.
I can explicitly confirm, as can the Heartland Institute, that the documents they emailed to me are identical to the documents that have been made public. I made no changes or alterations of any kind to any of the Heartland Institute documents or to the original anonymous communication.
He claims he didn’t alter any of the documents sent to him. He doesnt say that the only documents he sent were the ones sent to him. He says he didn’t alter the “anonymous communication”, but he doesn’t identify it, nor does he confirm that he sent it.
Consistent with what Gleick has claimed are several scenarios that leave him the author of the faked memo – a fact he has not denied:
1) Someone sent him the Proposed Budget – that was the “anonymous communication.” He stole more documents, which may or may not have included the Budget that he already had in hand. He forwarded everything that had been sent to him, and he added to that package the “Climate Strategy Memo” that he had made up himself.
2) Someone sent him a “heads up” with a few details about the Budget in it – that was the “anonymous communication.” He stole more documents from Heartland. He kept the “anonymous communication”, forwarded everything that had been sent to him by Heartland, and he added to that package the “Climate Strategy Memo” that he had made up himself.
Even if Gleick is telling the unvarnished truth in his “confession” and half assed apology, either of those two scenarios could still be true. Keep in mind that crimate scientists are already primed to think in the “consistent with” mindset, and the fact that Gleick has lawyered up with the best sleazy democrat representation that you can’t buy, so it has to be provided to you. Every word he says from here on out is carefully chosen to be technically perjury-free, while telling the story he wants you to hear. And his lawyers have very carefully chosen for him to not claim that he didn’t write the Fake…
And of course, all of that only applies if his “confession” is entirely truthful. It remains that he could be telling more lies.
It was not the criminal act of Watergate that will be remembered, it was the cover up.
The irony. It burns.
One thing I have learned about these people, the ones who complain the most about someone else doing something nefarious seem themselves to be doing what they accuse the other side of doing. If they accuse you of being funded with deep pocket backers, it generally means that they are and are projecting their own situation onto their opposition. They probably can’t really believe that so many people actually do this in their spare time without any “deep pockets” behind them. Their head would explode of they thought people were doing this for no other reason than out of a sense of decency and respect for science. In fact, I would be willing they can’t allow themselves to believe it because it would make them hate themselves more than they already do. The self-loathing has many manifestations, I suppose.
Most nails in the coffin of CAGW take a bit of effort. This one jumped right in on its own volition.
As some here might realize, Dr. Gleick has just become a hero/martyr of the cause. Be not surprised by the mental gymnastics the greenies will be performing in the days ahead. Their base axiom on which all else rests is that the ends justify the means.
An interesting quote from Mr. Gleick’s review of Mann’s new book:
“Toward the end, Mann talks about the misinterpreted, out-of-context emails stolen from a university in the UK, with the observation and famous quote “If you give me six lines ( documents? cb. ) written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to hang him.” This describes the classic tool of using misleading, cherry-picked piece of information to argue against climate change — a tool used in bad data analysis, bad policy, and bad science. ”
Prophecy, or plan?
The plot thickens.
richcar 1225 says:
February 20, 2012 at 10:24 pm
“It was not the criminal act of Watergate that will be remembered, it was the cover up.”
Watergate is nothing compared to Solyndra or Fast and Furious.
Was Gleick connected (in any way) with the rapid response team? Could this “Richard Nixon” format confession be saving something, more important than Gleick? Interesting twist “I AM a crook, but I am not a liar (forger). Trouble is – ALL thieves are also liars… ALWAYS! GK
DeSmogBlog seems to be digging a deeper hole for themselves. They are calling Gleick a “Whistle Blower”, and making him out to be some kind of climate hero. They say “For his courage, his honor, and for performing a selfless act of public service, he deserves our gratitude and applause.”
Have they all become unhinged?
wws says:
“For those wondering why Gleick came forward now: just as with the cease and desist letters, you need to be thinking of the legal aspects of this case, not the PR aspects.”
This is where the idea of a “modified, limited hangout” comes into play.
If (and I did say IF) Gleick wrote the fake memo, he needs to divert ALL attention away from that. By admitting to the identity fraud, he is only admitting to a misdemeanor under CA law, and is obviously hoping to get by the civil proceeding as cheaply as possible.
HI has to make a decision on whether to go to court and hope they can prove Gleick was actually the author of the fake memo if they want to prove “malicious intent” because as everyone has said the other documents aren’t that scary, merely inconvenient to the donors and everyone else involved.
My opinion, they are WORRIED!
Martin says:
February 20, 2012 at 10:15 pm
“Gleick’s a bit of a hero actually. He single handedly exposed the going’s on behind the curtains at Heartland. He even got the head honcho at Heartland to email him the info – I love it!”
So, your side operates by forging stuff and trying to delude the media into reporting falsities about their enemies. Now, you say Gleick’s a hero for that so obviously you approve of these tactics.
Martin, the problem with that is not that you endorse lies and deception instead of an honest debate, no, that’s not a problem at all, because it works in our favor.
Your problem with your attitude is simply this. You will lose.
Martin
February 20, 2012 at 10:15 pm
###
WOW this is great. While I am composing a comment, your appears that helps prove the very point I was making. Thanks.
And the dissembling begins. Let it be noted that Aaron Heurtas, PR for the UCS, and author of the Open Letter from The Team has moved all comments from this post: http://aaronhuertas.com/2011/12/motivated-minority-climate-change-debates-lopsided-and-dangerous/
to this post: http://aaronhuertas.com/2011/12/motivated-minority-climate-change-debates-lopsided-and-dangerous/
To his credit, he notes that he moved the comments.
What is truly hilarious is that the comments posted were on his “Motivated Minority Climate Change Debates Lopsided and Dangerous” post. The comments were moved to the “Sandbox.”
If find it striking, considering Gleick is certainly a dangerous, motivated minority, and will now likely spend some time in the sandbox.
I expect we’ll see a good amount of shifting of comments and such around the alarmist blogs over the next few days.
More prophecy in a comment on Gleick’s review of Mann’s book.
It looks like several persons were on to him.
Posted on Feb 16, 2012 4:43:39 PM PST
james west says:
Dr Gleick,
I was wondering if you could also do a review of the Strategy document leaked from the Heartland Institute? I think you may have the relevant expertise to give us special insights here. I’m sure you’ll find it a five star read.
Followed up by………
Woodshedder says:
James, Dr. Gleick is actually at the top of the list for being the person who may have faked the Strategy document to which you refer. Strange that Dr. Gleick, normally so triumphant, has been quiet during the Fake-gate. Only time will tell if he is guilty, but there certainly is a lot of similarity between his writing style and the style used in the fake strategy document.
LOLOL