An independent panel has determined two leaders at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration violated the agency's ethical standards last year.
In 2019 President Donald Trump showed a map of Hurricane Dorian's projected path which included lines that had been drawn by hand to include Alabama. The Birmingham, Alabama branch of the National Weather Service then tweeted that Alabama would not see any impact from the storm.
Then the NOAA released a statement saying tropical-storm-force winds could impact Alabama.
The National Academy of Public Administration said NOAA leaders violated its own code of ethics by making that statement without input from the Birmingham NWS office.
The panel also said acting NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs and Deputy Chief of Staff Julie Roberts were driven by external political pressure to make the statement.
