Congressman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., May be looking to vacate his seat in Congress in favor of a state-level job, according to a new report.
Schiff is reportedly working behind the scenes to pressure California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint him as the next attorney general for the Golden State, Axios reported Tuesday night, citing sources familiar with the situation.
The vacancy will be opened soon, if its current occupant and nominated by President Biden for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, is confirmed. It was already held by Vice President Kamala Harris, before her election to the US Senate.
ARCHIVE – This March 3, 2020, photo archive by the president of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington. Schiff said on Tuesday, September 29, that he would bring the Department of Homeland Security to trial after a department whistleblower did not have access to the documents and authorization he needed to testify. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite, Archive)
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The move would mark a major shift in Schiff, who is currently the influential chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, which saw his national profile rise during the investigation in Russia and then the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump. But it would also allow him more time in his home state before the possible retirement of Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein, 87, at the end of her 2025 term.
Schiff’s district is reliably Democratic, and the party would still have a majority in the House of Representatives until its replacement is chosen – albeit narrowly.
Schiff has represented California’s 28th district for nearly 20 years. As a former Harvard Law School federal prosecutor, he has an experience that would ostensibly qualify him to head the state attorney general’s office – although critics have accused him of partisanship.
His office could not be reached for comment.
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It is unclear who would take Schiff’s place on the Intel Committee. California’s fellow Democratic deputy Eric Swalwell, another ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, remains on the committee – despite his inexplicable ties to an alleged Chinese spy named Fang Fang.
For its part, Newsom is experiencing a low point in its approval ratings – a recall effort for its removal from the job that is gaining momentum and a worsening coronavirus outbreak.