Crime

No Charges Brought in Climategate Leak: ‘Covered Their Tracks Extremely Carefully’

LONDON (The Blaze/AP) — After a three-year investigation, it appears the perpetrators of the so called “Climategate” will not be charged — because they can’t be found. On Wednesday, British police have closed their investigation into the theft of hundreds of climate science emails published to the Web.

Case Closed: British Police Cannot Find Climategate Perpetrators So No Charges Can Be Brought for Email Theft

University of East Anglia's shield. (Image: Wikimedia)

The theft caught researchers at the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit discussing ways to dodge right-to-know requests, keep opponents’ research out of peer-reviewed journals, and destroy data. The unguarded and occasionally unprofessional messages dented the reputation of several researchers and provided ammunition to skeptics, many of whom seized on the documents to claim that the threat of global warming was being hyped.

Several overlapping inquiries are believed to have vindicated the researchers’ science, but the furor over Climategate dominated debate in the run-up to the crucial 2009 U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark. Those talks ended in failure, and world leaders are still struggling to agree a plan to impose caps on the emission of greenhouse gasses blamed for rising temperatures and melting ice caps. A second leak, published to the Internet in 2011, came a week before similar climate talks in Durban, South Africa.

(Related: Climategate Part II: New Leaked Emails Again Point to Global Warming Activism)

The local British police force investigating the breach said Wednesday that its officers had been caught out by the complexity of the attack and the three-year-long statute of limitations on Britain’s Computer Misuse Act.

Det. Chief Supt. Julian Gregory of the Norfolk Constabulary said in a statement that his officers “do not have a realistic prospect of identifying the offender or offenders and launching criminal proceedings within the time constraints imposed by law.”

Gregory’s force, which has come under criticism from some quarters for its failure to find the culprits, said that it had sought help from counter-terrorism and cybercrime investigators at Scotland Yard, Britain’s domestic extremism task force, as well as outside Internet security consultants. It noted that the perpetrator or perpetrators had masked their activity using “methods common in unlawful internet activity,” but didn’t go into any further detail.

The force added that the breach – which led to the publication of several thousand emails when both leaks are taken into account – was the result of an attack by a malicious hacker, not the actions of a whistleblower as some had speculated.

(Related: Climatologist Involved in Climategate 2.0 Opens Himself Up to Public Questions)

“We can say that the data breach was the result of a sophisticated and carefully orchestrated attack on the (Climatic Research Unit’s) data files, carried out remotely via the Internet,” the statement said. “There is no evidence to suggest that anyone working at or associated with the University of East Anglia was involved in the crime.”

The University of East Anglia said it was disappointed that no one had been caught but expressed gratitude for police’s help.

“Clearly, the perpetrators were highly sophisticated and covered their tracks extremely carefully,” university Vice-Chancellor Edward Acton said. “The misinformation and conspiracy theories circulating following the publication of the stolen emails – including the theory that the hacker was a disgruntled UEA employee – did real harm to public perceptions about the dangers of climate change.”

He said he hoped Wednesday’s announcement would “draw a line under the stressful events of the last two and half years.”

Comments (34)

  • overthecliff
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 1:26pm

    Man made global warming is an established fact. Scientists have developed a concensusbased on the evidence of cave men causing the end of the iceage by burning to much fossil fuel and dumping to much freon into the atmosphere.

    Report Post »  
  • RebelPatriot
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 1:40am

    This year again wild fires in the US have placed more pollution into the atmosphere than all the man made pollutants created by Americans.

    How did this planet survive before the industrial revolution?

    How did it make it through the volcanic eruptions that caused ice ages?

    Where were all the environmentalist then?

    You can’t save this planet, this planet will save itself.

    It is devinely created to filtrate on its own.

    Report Post »  
    • Your Name Here
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 8:59am

      It‘s amazing that the politicians are pushing for ’cap & trade’ when you realize that there is nothing they can do because the whole basis of cap & trade is to make moeny.
      There is nothing involved except corrupt bureaucrats trying to scam the public.
      When there is money waiting to be made do you think anything will ever be done to stop to so called problems causing this so called climate change?
      It’s just like doctors and medicine. “There’s no money in a cure but there is a lot of money in treatment.”

      Report Post » Your Name Here  
  • Apple Bite
    Posted on July 22, 2012 at 7:33pm

    How dare them to expose these “scientists” for the frauds they are! Such an outrage!

    Makes you wonder where they got the idea of PIPA and SOPA from, doesn’t it?

    Report Post » Apple Bite  
  • Broadsidejohn
    Posted on July 22, 2012 at 3:41pm

    @Tigress1,
    Well said. No concern at all at the corruption and chicanery exposed by so called “thieves of emails”. Clearly, there was no attempt to reveal the venal “researchers” and the biblical scale fraud perpetrated by them. Not one mention. Only concern that they could prevent more exposure and damage to the public perception of the “man made global climate change.” This whole scam was thought up by environmental-Luddite nuts, as a back door way of destroying our energy production, economies and standard of living. And hoping that this leads to declining birth rate as icing on the cake. If they could define Co2 as a man-made pollutant, it would form the basis and standing to file lawsuits and to use court decisions as basis to give regulatory (like EPA, among others) agencies carte blanche to run rampant.
    This has happened, as a little known Supreme Court decision declared that Co2 was a man-made pollutant that can be regulated in any way government sees fit. We, behind the New Iron Curtain in California, are suffering already. All, but particularly the “Red” States, are coming under attack by the various regulatory agencies, working hand-in-glove with the communists and enviro-activists. Texas, Arizona, and other States not supporting the Dogeater, must be destroyed. With the cooperation of the Courts, there is no way, in the long run, to resist the destruction of our Nation. But I’m not bitter.

    Report Post »  
    • RebelPatriot
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 1:47am

      Let‘s hope we don’t stop creating CO2 because if that happens the plants will have nothing to turn into oxygen. We will all just suffocate. Co2 as a pollutant, did noone in government take 8th grade science.

      And for th

      Report Post »  
  • Free2speakRN
    Posted on July 21, 2012 at 12:11am

    Clean Job.

    Report Post »  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 6:44pm

    Why must we be plagued with the cult of the warmers,these people are sociopaths with their idiotic myth of man made global warming.Thousands of scientists agree it‘s a fraud yet these brain dead zombies are among us normal people and these so called ’environmentalists’ are attempting to use this fraud to extract trillions of dollars from the U.S to a bunch of **** hole countries.For those of you who voted for our Marxist POS president that is wealth redistribution.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • forthepeople
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 4:57pm

    It‘s Bush’s fault

    Report Post » forthepeople  
  • BigMG
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 4:35pm

    Search for child claiming that the Emperor has no clothes continues despite growing evidence that “he covered his tracks extremely carefully”.

    Should this petulant youth ever be apprehended for stating the obvious truth regarding an unclad Emperor, causing chaos and embarrassment amongst the multitude of true believers, he will be persecuted to the full extent of our law.

    Report Post » BigMG  
  • SteveThomas
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 4:06pm

    The hackers deserve an award. I could not possible care less that they haven’t been identified. What I want to know is why the “scientists” that perpetrated this fraud haven’t been prosecuted yet. They have disgraced themselves, and abased the institutions that employed them. They have demonstrated all the credibility of a dingleBarry HO–none.

    Report Post »  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 3:59pm

    The cult of the warmers would have us walking around in the dark eating seeds and freezing in the winter.These people are insane because they also believe that homosapiens are inferior to all other life forms.If you should ever be misfortunate enough to encounter one of these neanderthals don‘t try to explain to them that they’re wrong because they‘re blinded by their sick twisted ideology and aren’t rational.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
    • Winedude
      Posted on July 20, 2012 at 4:30pm

      ‘they‘re blinded by their sick twisted ideology and aren’t rational. It would appear to me that you, sir, are the person absolutely blinded by a very twisted ideology and you most certainly ain’t rational!!! Progressive slayer my ass…just another ill-informed fool.

      Report Post »  
    • progressiveslayer
      Posted on July 20, 2012 at 6:32pm

      Ah yes another member of the cult of warmers,man made global warming is a myth dumb @ss,and you don‘t know what you’re talking about another brainwashed idiot so F OFF.

      Report Post » progressiveslayer  
    • progressiveslayer
      Posted on July 20, 2012 at 7:12pm

      Oh yeah take your debunked hockey stick theory and shove it.

      Report Post » progressiveslayer  
    • Rayblue
      Posted on July 20, 2012 at 7:38pm

      It boils down to an irresponsible childlike hatred of corporations other than the ones that they imagine to be neutral or at least equally disdainful of larger and more successful businesses that don’t follow the environmentally correct, primrose path in their much more intelligently designed world manufactured in the classroom.

      Report Post » Rayblue  
  • JoJothetalkingdog
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 3:54pm

    Wait, what. The KGB did it. That is common knowledge. Why? They (Russia) produce 12M BPD and consume 3.5M BPD. Its only $760M a day in revenue why would they. Also, did you know who funds the Sierra Club?? Yep the same KGB OPEC also funnels money.

    Low US supply equals big Russian money. Maybe the Blaze should see who really funds the US environmental groups.

    Report Post »  
  • OneTermPresident
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 3:46pm

    Once in awhile they slip up and let the truth out of the bag…

    OTTMAR EDENHOFER: “First of all, developed countries have basically expropriated the atmosphere of the world community. But one must say clearly that we redistribute de facto the world’s wealth by climate policy. Obviously, the owners of coal and oil will not be enthusiastic about this. One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore, with problems such as deforestation or the ozone hole.”

    For the record, Edenhofer was co-chair of the IPCC’s Working Group III, and was a lead author of the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report released in 2007

    Report Post » OneTermPresident  
  • jmgair
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 3:29pm

    So now that they have not found the leakers who revealed these false claims about global warming, when does the prosecution begin for the scientists and others who have perpetrated this scam worldwide with false and fabricated information to promote their underhanded scam that is Gorebull warming.

    Report Post »  
  • Depressed_American
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 3:16pm

    Someone should have been arrested for the fraud that the e-mails exposed, and the fraud the United Nations is trying to impose on the world with it’s wealth re-distribution scheme, politically tied to Global Warming!!! What does Wealth Redistribution have to do with Climate Change?

    Report Post » Depressed_American  
  • mrdoogle
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 3:15pm

    Climate change is a SCAM by the left…..nuff said……

    Report Post »  
  • Tigress1
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 3:06pm

    Am I understanding this correctly? They are trying to find out who the hackers were because hacking is illegal, but they aren’t trying to uncover the fraud of “Climate Change” itself?????

    Report Post » Tigress1  
    • Broadsidejohn
      Posted on July 22, 2012 at 9:45pm

      Right you are. I was struck by the total display of non-concern for exposing the fraud and manipulation on the part of the “researchers.“ The only aim of the ”investigators” and the college bureaucrats was to minimize impact on the public perception of whole global warming scam and keep any pertinent information hidden to outsiders. They actually said as much. The venality of these creatures is breathtaking.

      Report Post »  
  • poster
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 3:06pm

    “After a three-year investigation, it appears the perpetrators of the so called “Climategate” will not be charged — because they can’t be found.”

    Imagine that. Hey, Weather Channel – any comment?

    Report Post »  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 2:44pm

    The cult of the warmers has been exposed for the fraud it is,and the cult must be destroyed.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
    • RJJinGadsden
      Posted on July 20, 2012 at 2:59pm

      PROGRESSIVESLAYER, Warmers, I like that. Nice way to throw their stupidity back in their faces. This is how we should call the movement from now on.

      Report Post » RJJinGadsden  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on July 20, 2012 at 3:08pm

      Agreed, and I like calling them “Warmers.” Sounds like all the heat coming from their corrupted brains under the stress of their lies being uncovered.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • MeteoricLimbo
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 2:32pm

    I think a person simply needs to exercise a little common sense to see through this scam. Since this scandal broke you sure don’t hear much on the topic.
    You can sweep poop under a rug but you cant hide the stink.
    They sell us their Lord (Gaia) and promise the wind

    Report Post » MeteoricLimbo  
  • AllLost
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 2:17pm

    Wish they spent 3 years trying to track down the validity of Climate Change ‘science’.

    Report Post »  
    • Lt_Scrounge
      Posted on July 20, 2012 at 8:54pm

      There is no validity to their science. The earth was warmer during the medieval warming period than it is now. How could the industrial revolution be causing something that would be more correctly referred to as a return to normal from the mini ice age that followed the medieval warming period aka the “Little Climatic Optimum.”

      Report Post »  
  • hauschild
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 2:16pm

    “No Charges Brought in Climategate Leak: Covered Their Tracks Extremely Carefully”

    Oh, the humanity!!!

    Report Post »  
  • sWampy
    Posted on July 20, 2012 at 2:15pm

    Pretty typical.

    Report Post »  

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