Seeking to dismiss quake scientists
See also: 2009–18 Oklahoma earthquake swarms § Governmental response
On May 15, 2015, Bloomberg reported that Hamm told Larry Grillot (the dean of the University of Oklahoma Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy) that he wanted certain earthquake researchers from the university dismissed.[24] The scientists were involved in studying connections between oil and gas activity and the increase in the earthquake activities in the state.
Joe Wertz, reporter for StateImpact,[a] wrote that further examination of Hamm's e-mail to Dean Grillot revealed yet another kind of threat:
Hamm also expressed an interest in joining a search committee charged with finding a new director for the geological survey," according to Grillot's e-mail. And, the dean wrote," Hamm indicated that he would be 'visiting with Governor [Mary] Fallin on the topic of moving the OGS out of the University of Oklahoma.'[25]