Washington (CNN) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday released an internal email sent by the agency's acting chief scientist announcing that he will investigate why the agency backed President Donald Trump's false claim that Hurricane Dorian was likely to hit Alabama.

The memo's public release -- it had been originally sent to NOAA staff on Sunday , according to a copy obtained by CNN -- marks the latest development in the controversy surrounding Trump's false assertion about Dorian's path. On Friday, NOAA had disavowed a tweet from the National Weather Service's Birmingham, Alabama, office contradicting Trump's claim.

"I am pursuing the potential violations of our NOAA Administrative Order on Scientific Integrity," acting Chief Scientist Craig McLean wrote in the memo. "My understanding is that this intervention to contradict the forecaster was not based on science but on external factors including reputation and appearance, or simply put, political."

He added that the episode has been "very concerning" because "it compromises the ability of NOAA to convey life-saving information necessary to avoid substantial and specific danger to public health and safety."

"If the public cannot trust our information, or we debase our forecaster's warnings and products, that specific danger arises," McLean wrote.

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