Former NASA Public Affairs Official Says He's Under Attack

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - A staffer who resigned from NASA after he was accused of restricting access to a noted climate scientist said Thursday he was targeted because of his political ties.

George C. Deutsch, 24, resigned from the agency's public relations department earlier this week.

"What you do have is hearsay coming from a handful of people who have clear partisan ties and they are really coming after me as a Bush appointee,'' he told radio station WTAW. "I was an easy target. I was low-hanging fruit.''

The New York Times reported Wednesday that Deutsch attempted to limit reporters' access to Jim Hansen, a noted NASA climate scientist, and insisted that a Web designer insert the word "theory'' before any mention of the Big Bang.

Deutsch denied the allegations.

"I have never been told to censor science, to squelch anything or to insert religion into any issue, absolutely not,'' said the former Bush campaign worker.

• Policy or Politics? NASA Accused of Intimidating Climatologist