The American Energy Institute has released a report alleging political bias in a climate science chapter of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, a guide for federal judges. The Federal Judicial Center removed the chapter from its version, but the National Academies continues to publish it online. National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt defended the decision, citing the joint development process.
A report from the American Energy Institute (AEI), obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire, criticizes the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, produced jointly by the Federal Judicial Center (FJC) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The manual serves as a key resource for federal judges on scientific matters, but AEI focuses on a chapter about climate science, claiming it was shaped by advocates linked to lawsuits against energy companies and promotes disputed concepts like attribution science—which ties specific weather events to human-caused climate change—as settled fact. AEI also alleges the chapter cites experts with undisclosed ties to plaintiff-side climate litigation, including law firms and advocacy groups. The FJC has removed the climate chapter from its online version. In contrast, the National Academies has kept the full manual, including the chapter, available on its website. Responding to criticism from Republican state attorneys general, National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt stated, “The manual, including the chapter on climate science, will continue to be available on the Academy’s website.” She added, “The National Academy of Sciences used the process that was jointly developed by the Academy and the Federal Judicial Center in the development of the 4th edition.” AEI CEO Jason Isaac said, “The National Academies allowed activist-aligned climate theories and undisclosed litigation conflicts to be embedded in a reference manual relied upon by federal judges, then refused to remove the material even after the Federal Judicial Center stepped back from it. A taxpayer-funded institution that presents itself as a neutral scientific authority should not be laundering the legal theories of climate litigators into judicial guidance.” The report highlights the National Academies' funding, with over $200 million from federal agencies—about 74% of its external funds in 2024—and ties to groups like Arabella Advisors. It also notes that leaders including McNutt, National Academies of Medicine President Victor Dzau, and Executive Officer Monica Feit have donated exclusively to Democratic candidates. This comes amid a House Judiciary Committee inquiry into groups like the Environmental Law Institute’s Climate Judiciary Project influencing judicial handling of climate cases.
