CREW requests NOAA records on Trump transition questionnaires

CREW requests copies of any questionnaires submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) by any representative of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, including representatives of Trump for America, Inc., and the Office of the President-Elect and the Office of the Vice President-Elect.

In early December, news outlets reported that President-Elect Trump’s transition team had sent an extensive questionnaire to the Department of Energy that included a request for the names of all agency employees or contractors who have attended conferences related to climate change policy as well as emails and documents associated with the conferences. The questionnaire raised concerns about potential retaliation against Energy Department staff by the incoming administration. The Energy Department declined to provide individual names to transition team while acknowledging that some of the questions “left many in our workforce unsettled.”

The requested records would shed light on whether the Trump transition team has sought similar information from other government agencies that have worked on climate change policy.