NOAA Puts Sharpiegate Investigators on Leave

Two senior NOAA officials, Steve Volz and Jeff Dillen, were placed on administrative leave just before the Senate confirmation hearing for Neil Jacobs, President Trump’s nominee to lead NOAA. Both officials had led the Sharpiegate investigation, which concluded that Jacobs and another official violated NOAA’s scientific integrity policy by supporting Trump’s inaccurate 2019 hurricane forecast. NOAA stated that Dillen's leave was due to performance issues and Volz's to an unspecified matter, though the timing has raised suspicions of retaliation. The agency is under additional scrutiny due to leadership vacancies, recent staffing cuts, and ongoing budget pressures. The departure of Volz and Dillen is seen as a significant loss to NOAA’s integrity and expertise. The episode has heightened concerns over political interference in NOAA’s scientific work.