Schiff pulls endorsement of Los Angeles DA in wake of George Floyd protests

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Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., withdrew his endorsement of Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who is seeking a third term in office.

Schiff had initially thrown his support behind Lacey last year, but the incumbent DA now faces a progressive challenger during a time when law enforcement is facing criticism across the country.

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"This is a rare time in our nation's history. We have a responsibility to make profound changes to end systemic racism & reform criminal justice," Schiff tweeted Saturday, adding that he and California Assemblymember Laura Friedman "no longer feel our endorsement of Jackie Lacey a year ago has the same meaning. We have decided to withdraw it."

Lacey, who is the first black female district attorney in Los Angeles history, told the Los Angeles Times that she is "proud" of her work against racism criminal justice reform.

"As the first African-American woman to hold the LA County D.A.’s office, I am proud of my record of taking on systemic racism and reforming criminal justice — from bail reform, to reducing juvenile cases by nearly 50 percent, to increasing our office’s focus on mental health treatment instead of incarceration," Lacey told the newspaper. "I am singularly focused on doing the work of the people of LA County during this time of crisis."

The Times reported that the same day that Schiff announced his decision, protesters gathered outside Lacey's home, urging her to file charges against the police officers who fatally shot Alex Flores and Daniel Hernandez in separate incidents in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

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Lacey apologized earlier this year after her husband allegedly pointed a gun at about 50 Black Lives Matter demonstrators and threatened to shoot them for showing up to their Los Angeles home before dawn.