Two High-ranking Noaa Employees Connected To 'sharpiegate' Incident Put On Leave

Two apical National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials who played a domiciled successful nan high-profile “Sharpiegate” investigation astatine nan agency were placed connected administrative time off this week.

Stephen Volz, nan adjunct administrator for NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, and Jeff Dillen, a lawman wide counsel astatine NOAA, were placed connected time off Thursday morning, Volz told NBC News.

Volz and Dillen were figures successful a contention during nan first Trump presidency that came to beryllium known arsenic “Sharpiegate,” successful which forecasters were rebuked for contradicting nan president complete a crude alteration to a hurricane map.

NOAA confirmed Friday that nan 2 men had been placed connected leave.

“Mr. Dillen was placed connected administrative time off by nan department’s elder profession lawyer pending a reappraisal of capacity issues complete nan past respective weeks,” Kim Doster, NOAA communications director, said successful an emailed statement. “Separately, Dr. Volz was placed connected administrative time off connected an unrelated matter.”

When reached by phone, Dillen declined to comment.

The high-profile move comes astatine a tenuous clip for NOAA, which is down hundreds of labor after staffing cuts and voluntary buyouts implemented by nan Trump administration. The staffing and capacity of nan National Weather Service, which is portion of NOAA, person been nether aggravated scrutiny aft caller utmost upwind events, including nan cardinal Texas flooding tragedy.

The agency is without a leader arsenic Neil Jacobs, President Donald Trump’s nominee, awaits Senate confirmation. NOAA’s spending is besides nether adjacent review. The Trump management has projected heavy cuts to nan agency’s budget, though Congress has signaled it won’t instrumentality specified terrible fund restrictions.

The news that Volz and Dillen were placed connected time off was first reported by CNN. It’s not clear precisely why they were placed connected leave.

In an interview, Volz said he received nan news Thursday greeting successful a missive from acting NOAA Administrator Laura Grimm.

“The missive itself gave nary accusation astir nan cause. It said, ‘You are connected administrative time off pending an investigation into your caller nationalist conduct,’” Volz said Friday, adding that he had “no idea” what was being investigated.

He said portion of his occupation is to speak astatine nationalist events, and he precocious took portion successful a property convention astatine a outer motorboat successful Japan, among different events. Volz, who has worked successful nationalist work for 36 years, said he had not changed his attack to media aliases nationalist speaking since nan caller management took over.

“I springiness nationalist comments connected a regular ground and I’ve done that my full clip astatine NOAA. I haven’t adjusted that. I’m cautious astir my individual opinions,” Volz said. “I person not been reticent astir communicating nan activity we do and nan challenging circumstances we’re under. That’s astir apt much retired beforehand than galore different group successful akin positions astatine NOAA.”

Both Volz and Dillen played roles successful nan aftermath of nan “Sharpiegate” incident successful 2019. At nan time, Trump incorrectly said Hurricane Dorian could onslaught Alabama. But, nan section upwind forecasting agency successful Birmingham denied nan authorities was astatine risk. Trump past showed reporters an altered hurricane way marked pinch a achromatic Sharpie. Later, apical NOAA officials rebuked nan section forecasters amid perceived governmental pressure.

After nan event, NOAA hired nan National Academy of Public Administration to execute an independent appraisal into allegations of technological misconduct during nan incident. The investigation recovered that Jacobs violated NOAA’s morals policies.

Volz wrote a last determination about nan study for NOAA, which agreed pinch NAPA’s findings. He said Dillen worked connected that archive also. Volz said he did not cognize whether notices that they’d some been put connected time off connected nan aforesaid time and their relationship to nan “Sharpiegate” study were a coincidence.

“Jeff was nan ineligible counsel. I was nan elder charismatic reference done nan NAPA study and penning up our ain determination memo, which recovered responsibility pinch 2 officials wrong NOAA, including Neil Jacobs,” Volz said. “It’s not mislaid connected maine Jeff and I were some fixed admin time off connected nan aforesaid time and Neil Jacobs is going done hearings now and getting fresh to beryllium voted connected by nan Senate.”

NOAA did not straight remark astir whether nan “Sharpiegate” investigation played immoderate domiciled successful its decisions.

Volz said he remains a NOAA employee, but has nary entree to national accommodation and his email is “locked.”

He said he was not judge what his adjacent steps would be.

“I emotion nan activity I do astatine NOAA,” Volz said. “I’m not fresh to locomotion softly into nan sunset, that’s for sure.”