Two top National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials—along with one other NOAA official—are currently on administrative leave. This play makes us doubt the agency’s future in the Trump administration even more. Neil Jacobs, the former NOAA chief, and Stephen Volz, head of the agency’s division of satellites, were both implicated in the unusual “Sharpiegate” debacle. Allegations abound that political pressures during this time eroded their scientific integrity.
So far, the landscape has changed dramatically under the Trump administration, with major implications for NOAA’s operations. NOAA at one time was hailed as the preeminent climate research agency. Major budget cuts and a 20% staffing reduction have crippled its ability to address the climate crisis head on. Longstanding federal government practices have been upended by the administration’s anti-science agenda, which is clearly focused on hiding climate-related data and resources from public access.
The decision to put Jacobs and Volz on leave has raised alarms. As you might imagine, many are asking whether this action is retaliation against their roles in investigating the agency’s compliance with scientific norms during the 2019 Sharpiegate scandal. This incident involved then-President Trump displaying a doctored weather map to support his claims about Hurricane Dorian’s trajectory, leading to scrutiny over NOAA’s response.
Jacobs—nominated by Trump to lead NOAA—was given command of the investigation. Together with Volz, they sought to determine if agency officials had weakened scientific integrity due to political pressure. Their investigation found that Jacobs and another NOAA official broke NOAA’s scientific integrity policy by succumbing to such pressures.
Jeff Dillen, NOAA’s deputy general counsel, was put on leave with Volz. Their departures come right as the Department of Commerce is leaning in. As we reported early on, they have actually been executing these plans in order to decrease NOAA’s workforce, starting the culling with probationary employees.
Rick Spinrad, a former NOAA chief scientist who served during the Biden administration, shared his thoughts on the issue. He warned that the administration’s move seems to be part of a larger plan to test the public’s willingness to accept these types of cuts.
“All of these activities strike me as just an effort to determine what is the limit of pain that the American public is willing to tolerate,” – Rick Spinrad
Concerns about NOAA’s future are echoed by Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He described the situation as “troubling.” That’s worrisome given that the agency plays a pivotal role in helping us understand and combat climate change.
“This is more bad news for NOAA,” – Andrew Rosenberg
Rosenberg continued to describe how the administration’s approach is damaging scientific integrity and public service. He added that going after people like Jacobs and Volz, who have dedicated their lives to public service, is part of a dangerous pattern within the administration.
“It will weaken NOAA even more and reinforce the Trump administration’s effort to ignore science and stop serving the American public while handing greater authority to political hacks,” – Andrew Rosenberg
As staff have begun to feel the shifts at NOAA, they have publicly called out abusive treatment of their peers. As one of Jacobs and Volz’s staffers described the chances of keeping them apart. With their key roles in the Sharpiegate investigation, it’s much more unlikely.
“It is laughable that anyone could look at this and say that their situations are ‘separate’ when both were leads on the Sharpiegate investigation,” – NOAA staffer
One further staffer lauded both men as model civil servants, emphasizing their commitment to the agency’s mission.
“Both of them are brilliant, dedicated civil servants,” – NOAA staffer
Volz’s leadership has been critical in navigating policy changes that impact NOAA’s scientific integrity. The continued chaos raises new concerns about the agency’s ability to carry out its mission in an environment that has grown more hostile and politicized.
As NOAA wrestles with these demands, much of the scientific community is alarmed about the long-term survival of NOAA. Yet the administration’s actions seem set to make most federal jobs in NOAA politically appointed positions.
“The Trump administration is essentially turning a vast swath of federal positions at NOAA into political positions,” – NOAA staffer