A climate change scientist’s defamation suit against National Review writer and frequent Rush Limbaugh fill-in Mark Steyn will proceed, a judge decided earlier this week, ruling against the magazine’s attempt to dismiss the case.
The case stems from Mr. Steyn’s written reference to Michael Mann’s climate change data as fraudulent, according to news website Raw Story.
Of especial ire to Mr. Mann was that Mr. Steyn quoted Competitive Enterprise Institution analyst Rand Simberg, who compared Mr. Mann to convicted Penn State child molester Jerry Sandusky.
Mr. Simberg called Mr. Mann “the Jerry Sandusky of climate science, except that instead of molesting children, he has molested and tortured data.”
Mr. Mann then launched the lawsuit against National Review and Mr. Steyn, claiming defamation. Mr. Simberg and the Competitive Enterprise Institution are also named in the suit.
At the time of the suit, several months ago, National Review editor Rich Lowry didn’t appear too worried.
“My advice to poor Michael is to go away and bother someone else,” Mr. Lowry said, Raw Story reported. “If he doesn’t have the good sense to do that, we look forward to teaching him a thing or two about the law and about how free debate works in a free country.”
Mr. Steyn is representing himself after firing the magazine’s legal team over a dispute related to how the judge was handling the case.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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