[ [link removed] ]Adam Schiff for Senate




John, you’re probably being bombarded with end-of-month
fundraising appeals lately. Well, this isn’t one of those emails. I hope
you’ll take a moment to read it through to the end — it’s a longer read,
but I promise, it’s a story that’s worth your while.

When I was a young Assistant U.S. Attorney, I set up the first federal
environmental crime unit in Southern California. One of my first big cases
involved a corporation which hired toxic waste haulers to smuggle
hazardous materials across the border into Mexico.

The U.S. government had just put in place additional environmental
regulations to protect our drinking water and our communities. This made
it harder to dump chemicals and toxic waste in the U.S., and was
absolutely critical for water safety.

The corporation in the case — a laminating company — paid the haulers to
smuggle the waste across the border, and dump it in Mexico. We found
dozens of drums of hazardous waste there, from paints to flammable
solvents and other toxic materials. We had also intercepted a fair amount
of other cargo intended to be dumped. Tragically, people living there
emptied the drums, filled them with water, and washed clothes in them,
among other unknowingly dangerous uses.

As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, I took on this waste dumping corporation —
and won.

It was the first federal prosecution for across-the-border toxic waste
dumping ever. It set an important precedent: that no company, big or
small, could avoid accountability when harming our planet and putting the
health of communities at risk, at home or abroad.

[ [link removed] ]Headline in Orange County Register: El Toro Man Is Sentenced in Hazardous
Waste Case

The case generated a lot of press coverage at the time, and represented a
significant step forward in prosecuting environmental crimes:

“Companies realize it’s cheaper to pollute than to dispose of hazardous material
properly,” said Assistant U.S. Atty. Adam B. Schiff, who is helping to prosecute
the cases. “We hope the announcement of the indictments and the task force will
impress individuals that the calculus is changing dramatically, that the costs
are going up dramatically.” — Los Angeles Times, May 11, 1990

“This is a very significant case because it is the first time that the export of
hazardous waste has been charged in federal court,” Assistant US Attorney Adam
Schiff said. “We hope that this will be the first of many cases.” — Orange
County Register, May 11, 1990

The task force that I helped to assemble included the FBI, EPA, the U.S.
Department of Transportation, the California Highway Patrol, and the
California Department of Health Services.

It was one of the first occasions that I worked with state and federal law
enforcement and government agencies to hold criminal actors accountable
under the law. But it also wasn’t the last. I also prosecuted Chevron for
dumping excess oil and gas into the ocean.

Of course, my caseload went well beyond environmental crimes. I also
successfully prosecuted Richard Miller, the first FBI agent indicted for
and convicted of espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union. Miller had
gotten off in his first two trials — one declared a mistrial and another
overturned on appeal. But after I picked up the case and tried him — he
was convicted and sentenced.

My experience investigating criminal conduct came in all too handy during
the Trump Administration, when I served as the lead manager of Donald
Trump’s first impeachment trial, and when I served on the January 6th
Committee.

I still carry my early environmental crimes prosecution experience with me
today — as the same EPA I worked with all those years ago faces attacks
from corporations and their allies on the Supreme Court, who are trying to
make it easy for companies to pollute once again. It’s also why I’m a
strong supporter of a Green New Deal, and why my campaign is so focused on
the need to save the planet.

I hope this story gives you a bit more background as to how I’ve used my
experience to best protect Californians, and ensure that the United States
upholds its commitment to the environment.

[ [link removed] ]This is the voice I will bring to the Senate. And if you feel inspired
to help my campaign after reading this, I would appreciate any support you
can give — even $3, $10, or $25 goes a long way.

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your
donation will go through immediately:

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Thanks for reading, and take care.

— Adam

P.S. I can't leave without sharing this absolutely righteous photo of me
from those days, standing right outside the courthouse. Take a look:

[ [link removed] ]Black and white photo of Adam Schiff standing on court house steps

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