WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- An investigation into a U.S. government polar bear researcher uncovered no evidence of alleged wrongdoing, officials said.
President Barack Obama's administration authorized an investigation into scientist Charles Monnett over alleged scientific misconduct and mismanagement of government contracts, The Guardian reported Saturday.
The wildlife biologist was suspended for six weeks last year from his post heading government agency oversight of oil drilling in Alaska, after allegations that he and another scientist had used false data in an article on drowned polar bears.
Although investigators found no evidence of misconduct, Monnett was reprimanded for forwarding official emails to a local government official and a fellow researcher at the University of Alaska without prior authorization, officials said.
The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility -- which provides assistance to public employees in environment-related matters and led the defense for Monnett, said he was told informally on Thursday he could return to his scientific role.
"This has been a vindication of Dr. Monnett in that they found no scientific misconduct or anything related to his scientific work that merited any sort of discipline or personnel action," PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch said.
