The National Science Foundation has concluded yet another investigation into the work of climate scientist Michael Mann (creator of the famous “hockey stick” temperature graph you see above), whose research and personal character have been targeted in a years-long, relentless smear campaign by energy industry front groups and the right wing media. The NSF’s statement:

“Finding no research misconduct or other matter raised by the various regulations and laws discussed above, this case is closed.”

I’ve lost track of the number of independent investigations that have utterly and completely vindicated the work of Mann and the other scientists involved in the fake scandal of the decade known as “Climategate.” But as Joe Romm points out, the right wing echo chamber just continues to hype “Climategate” in a closed-loop rejection of reality: Climate Secret: NSF Quietly Closes Out Inspector General Investigation with Complete Vindication of Michael Mann.

Let me end with some key findings of the Penn State investigation:

“An Investigatory Committee of faculty members with impeccable credentials” has unanimously “determined that Dr. Michael E. Mann did not engage in, nor did he participate in, directly or indirectly, any actions that seriously deviated from accepted practices within the academic community for proposing, conducting, or reporting research, or other scholarly activities.” His work “clearly places Dr. Mann among the most respected scientists in his field…. Dr. Mann’s work, from the beginning of his career, has been recognized as outstanding.”

So Mann isn’t merely a competent researcher. He is one of the leading climate scientists in this country, which of course is precisely why the anti-science crowd has gone after him, much as they have with other leading climate scientists, including Hansen and Santer.

And that’s one more reason why the major media outlets who smeared and defamed him owe him an apology and a retraction — loud ones!