3:53 p.m.
More accurately, in today’s press conference Mike stated that Steve Adler’s firm worked for Koch. Mike had initially called on Adler to clarify his relationship with Koch Industries on KVUE. Our request for clarification was based upon a change in Steve Adler’s FindLaw profile on October 27 (*more on that below). In the KVUE interview that aired yesterday, Steve Adler admitted that his law partner worked for Koch. Today in our presser, Mike stated that Adler’s firm worked for Koch. Mike’s statement was based on the following evidence:
Steve Adler admitted that his law partner worked with Koch Industries. You can see the video here.
*Barron & Adler's online FindLaw profile listed Koch Industries as a representative client. The screen shot is attached. FindLaw is owned by Thomson Reuters. (The client section of Barron & Adler's FindLaw profile was erased on 10/27/2014. This was only days before the election. Screen shot attached.)
Steve Adler has admitted privately that Barron & Adler has worked with Koch Industries in the past. Prominent Austin attorney Brad Rockwell will go on the record to confirm that Steve has admitted that his law firm did work with Koch Industries. You can reach him at:... Brad Rockwell spoke at our press conference this morning and gave the statement below:
"My name is Brad Rockwell. I am an attorney here in Austin and I have practiced environmental law for eighteen years.
I believe that all Austinites should be able to swim in clean water and have access to safe drinking water. That’s why from 2002 – 2006 I was Deputy Director of the Save Our Springs Alliance.
If you agree with me that our next mayor should be someone who will protect our water from big polluters, Steve Adler is not your candidate.
I met Steve Adler in litigation while he was representing a company who was dismantling the SOS Ordinance. Adler opposed our efforts to get an injunction to stop this company from dumping petrochemicals directly into the Barton Springs aquifer.
I talked to Steve Adler after he decided to run. I pointed out that an online resume about his firm had identified Koch Industries as a representative client. Steve Adler admitted to me that his law firm, Barron & Adler, had Koch Industries as a client.
For those of you who do not know, Koch Industries is one of the nation’s largest polluters.
Adler told me it was just his law partner, not him, who represented Koch Industries. But under partnership law the acts of his partner were his acts and certainly profits from representation of Koch Industries were Adler’s profits as well.
Adler says the work his law firm did helping Koch Industries condemn land for pipelines happened “a long time ago.” Perhaps the pipelines were to serve Koch’s refinery in Corpus Christi – which every year since 1981 has dumped tens of thousands of pounds of benzene, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen cyanide into surrounding neighborhoods, and prompting a lawsuit from residents in the early 1980s. Perhaps the pipeline Adler and his partner helped Koch Industries build was the one that spilled nearly 100,000 gallons of oil into Texas Gulf bays causing an oil slick 12 miles long. Or the pipeline illegally operated by Koch Industries that exploded killing two people in Lively, Texas.
We need a mayor who will protect our environment, not someone who has profited by serving polluters. Steve Adler has even personally profited from a land deal calculated to pollute the very water we are standing in front today. Don’t take my word for it – this comes straight from independent news outlets.
Mike Martinez in contrast has a career as a public servant. On the City Council, Mike Martinez has been a leader in ensuring that Austin gets its future energy from clean and affordable sources. That’s why I am supporting him for Mayor. Thank you."
Please write back with any questions!
Nick Hudson