Oppose Brian Charles Lea's Nomination to the District Court

Bad judicial nominees are a generational problem, so I urge you to oppose the nomination of Brian Charles Lea to the District Court. While Lea possesses the right credentials on paper his record demonstrates a troubling pattern of prioritizing corporate interests over public health and civil rights. With the current tactic of switching cases to court ‘friendly’ to Trump’s circle of supporters and business interests, this means Lea would be another unsafe court for impartial justice. At the top of his list, and very concerning is Lea's extensive work defending R.J. Reynolds tobacco company. Between 2017 and 2024, he helped the company evade accountability in multiple cases involving victims of smoking-related diseases. In one publicized case, he assisted in strategy that led to the reversal of a $23.6 billion judgment. In another case, he successfully stripped nearly $7 million in damages from a widow even after the tobacco company was found liable. This work directly undermined justice for families devastated by products that cause preventable death and disease. In yet another case, Lea's representation raises serious civil rights concerns. He argued that Bryan Rintoul, the same-sex widower of Edward Caprio who died from smoking-caused lung disease in 2018, should be denied damages because the couple couldn't have been legally married when Caprio was diagnosed in 1996. This argument effectively punishes couples for discrimination they faced under unconstitutional laws, contradicting the principles established in Obergefell v. Hodges. Additionally, Lea has represented the Trump Administration's National Institutes of Health in defending guidance that caps cost reimbursements for federal research grants. A district court had already issued a permanent injunction against this policy, recognizing its potential harm to critical scientific research. Attacking science through the law is a disturbing tactic, and Lea is obviously a zealous ideologue and advocate for this idea, having spent years on these kinds of cases. Federal judges must demonstrate a commitment to protecting individual rights and public welfare, not a career spent helping corporations avoid responsibility for harm they cause. Lea's record suggests he would bring a pro-corporate bias to the bench that is inconsistent with fair and impartial justice. I respectfully ask that you oppose his confirmation. Thank you.