Hirono calls for probe of NOAA support of Trump hurricane path claims

KAILUA-KONA — In the wake of the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii drafted and signed a letter Wednesday with 13 other senators asking for answers from the Department of Commerce.

The letter, addressed to Department of Commerce General Inspector Peggy Gustafson, references Trump’s comments last week about Hurricane Dorian’s projected path and the claims that Commerce officials threatened to fire NOAA employees for contradicting the president’s claims.

Gustafson opened an investigation into the allegations that agencywide directives were issued warning NOAA staff against contradicting Trump.

“Scientists within the federal government work for the American people, not for private industry or the president’s personal vanity,” the letter says. “Individuals and families across the country rely on weather forecasting to determine everything from what they wear each day to the decision to evacuate a home during extreme weather events. As deadly extreme weather becomes more and more common, maintaining public trust in these reports becomes increasingly important. Agency officials should not be sacrificing trustworthy weather reporting for political gain.”

The letter requests Gustafson to seek information about whether Department of Commerce officials suppressed or altered scientific products and communication and if department officials were pressured or explicitly directed by the White House to take those actions.

It also requests Gustafson look into the legality of the actions by the officials and whether the department officials made political decisions that might have “impacted NOAA’s ability to fulfill its mission to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.”

Trump displayed Sept. 4 in the Oval Office a modified version of a map from NOAA showing Hurricane Dorian’s path, with the hurricane shown as hitting Alabama, along with Florida and Georgia. The modified path was made with a permanent marker. The map made waves on Twitter with the hashtag #sharpiegate.