Department of Justice Notification
PAGES 1–6 OF 132 PAGE FILING.
Dear Sirs and Madams,
This will be my 7th letter to the DoJ for my concerns of collusion, corruption, conflict of interest, antitrust, EPA violations, etc…
We are trusting that you will find sufficient facts in the 2020 findings I have just added to this document to investigate the parties I identify.
Sincerely,
Diane Cotter
2020.
March 20, 2020
IAFF Secretary Treasurer Ed Kelly accuses General President Schaitberger of stealing from the pension fund. 6 million dollars missing. https://www.dropbox.com/s/o81brrbo2q14qg2/FINAL%20Memorandum%20to%20the%20GP%20%281%29.pdf?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR2zvqReCM-egMN1yQBM8oZ7GRQgd2sHv8IcRfTYJ_wAZS-bcZDVsfIACpg
https://medium.com/@lamarericslamar/iaff-the-edzo-strikes-back-3a9044d9a3ec
APRIL 1, 2020. MY LETTER TO 20 SENATORS AND CONGRESS REPS IN WASHINGTON DC OUTLINING MY RECENT FINDINGS OF LION GEAR, EXPONENT, a former member of The Weinberg Group, and IAFF’s Pat Morrison AND ‘ A HIGH LEVEL MEETING IN WASHINGTON DC CALLED BY THE IAFF — TO DISCUSS ‘DIANE COTTER’……
I was made aware this weekend that a meeting was held in the Washington, DC IAFF headquarters recently. This meeting was brought to the attention of a very high ranking leader in the fire service. The meeting was called by someone high ranking within the IAFF to turnout gear manufacturers in order to ‘discuss Diane Cotter’.
I wish I were making this up. But I am not.
The source informed the high ranking fire service leader that ‘he and other PPE makers were going to a meeting to discuss Diane Cotter’.
There is no reason on this earth that a labor institution should be discussing a firefighter’s wife who recovered from occupational cancer. In particular in this tone of deception and malevolence. I do not know what was discussed but cannot help wonder if this was THE meeting that planned the industry driven dialogue the fleet is hearing on the issue of PFAS and PFOA in turnout gear.
I have outlined my concerns below. I want this on record in light of the daily updates coming in on Harold Schaitberger today and this past week since March 25th.
https://medium.com/@lamarericslamar/iaff-schaitberger-cut-off-69916e25044c
https://medium.com/@lamarericslamar/iaff-the-list-of-charges-8d10d0d270cb
https://medium.com/@lamarericslamar/iaff-the-edzo-strikes-back-3a9044d9a3ec
We are demanding a congressional investigation into the corruption of the IAFF and the intentional manipulation by the leaders who are downplaying and distorting information to the fleet regarding the harm they are in regarding PFOA in turnout gear.
I’m also adding my newest piece of research going back to the 60’s with 3M in NFPA and how it was done. I implore you to read it. Please look to see who 3M was working with in NFPA and how the cover up was done by ‘force feeding the research’ and, going right to firefighters to win them over, knowing they had a poison of their own making. Read how the NFPA was notified by Boots and Coots and did nothing to warn the fleet. The NFPA is the only institution we have to protect us. They are not impartial as they claim.
There is also a question about a ‘dust study’ and I have information I wish to discuss about that as well.. the IAFF has this information and this was not available to anyone.
I am terribly concerned that in all of these months, in all of these emails, to all of my elected officials, not one of you has reached back to connect with me on the issue I have raised of the IAFF. While I”ve spoken with many of you regarding the PFAS concerns, I have not spoken with anyone of you regarding the IAFF and my concerns of deception and greed.
Now we have proof from the treasurer himself.
Who do we see about this?
Sincerely,
Diane Cotter
Sent: Thu, Mar 26, 2020 3:31 pm to : CONGRESS, SENATORS, PRESS, ENVIRONMENTAL ORGS.
Subject: ATTACHMENT — Ed Kelly Gen Secretary Treas to General President Schaitberger
Re: followup of email of 3.25.2020
Please see attached document outlining Ed Kelly’s response to accusations by GP Schaitberger.
Our concern is only with the PFAS ISSUE. But, to be clear, we have felt something is VERY VERY WRONG for 4 years. Since day one when notified Schaitberger began crafting two agendas on this issue. Beginning in 2016.
To appear to be concerned . Pat Morrison H&S/IAFF reached out to the manufacturers..for their answers. It produced a 7 page document on health effects but stand down on actually doing anything.
Feeding Jason Burns what he calls bullshit (his words) information for 3 years.
Jason is the president of Fall River Local 1314 who began this issue with me in 2016.
A study done by Lion Group which IAFF ‘reviewed and supports’ the findings. That study was done by Exponent. Exponent is a well known pay as you go science org.
In addition to the Exponent study, Lion Manufacturing (who holds the nations military contract for PPE), went to the extreme length to convince a peer that their science is legit.
Lion’s CEO Andy Schwartz flew from Dayton OH to northern California in order to visit with our PPE Specialist Jeff Knobbe. Jeff has been trying for months to see the Lion Study. The only way to see it was to call and request.
It is not available as a peer reviewed paper.
The Lion team flew to Cali, and Andy and his team spoke to Jeff about PFAS having properties like ‘volleyballs and tennis balls’. This was on January 23rd, 2020.
Also while there, an unexpected party called in remotely at the request of Andy Schwartz. This was Dr Paul Chrostowski.
Dr Chrostowski instructed Jeff about side chain polymers and not being concerned about the dust or the findings of minimal PFOA in the Lion study.
It was only after that I advised Jeff that Dr Chrostowski was a 9 year veteran of the Weinberg Group.
The notorious ‘Weinberg Memo’ indicates the willingness of Weinberg Group to construct the science surrounding PFOA to the liking and precision of DuPont for a fee. See here:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2289501-weinberg-memo.html
On January 21rd, 2020, the IAFF held a seminar on toxic substances. PFAS and Flame retardants. During that seminar the discussion to the fleet was of PFAS being like ‘volley-balls and tennis-balls’. And, when Dr Peaslee’s name was brought up the color drained from Pat Morrison’s face.
Pat Morrison stated they are reviewing all the science. That is a soundbite.
Here is my response to Pat after viewing the seminar. The seminar video is included in the link.
https://medium.com/@dianecotter/email-to-pat-morrison-assistant-to-gp-international-association-of-
Pat and Larry Petrick (now gone from IAFF) were on the call with Dr Peaslee in March of 2018 when Dr Peaslee discussed the PFOA in the gear, where he found it, and in the dust. As well as telling them that the PFOA is forming in hours to days as the result of a precursor.
This discussion has never made it to the fleet. The discussion is one crafted by industry and supported by labor.
The attachment by Ed Kelly brings up concerns that I have had since day one.
What is the compensation from 3M and DuPont, Lion etc to the IAFF?
Why are they in our cancer summits while denying that their own chemicals harm us?
Why has there never been a study of chemical coatings in turnout gear until my husband’s cancer?
Why are these corporations refusing to fund the PFAS studies and medical monitoring for first responders that Rob Bilott now is suing for? Yet, they are the keepers of the keys. They sit as voting members on the only institution that is made to protect us. The NFPA. But, the NFPA refuses to act on this issue.
Not one penny from 3M or DuPont has ever gone to a firefighter with cancer.
Only the insurance companies pay for our cancers. 3M and DuPont — Lion etc., continue to gaslight the fire-service on this issue, refusing to acknowledge the harm of PFOA, PFOS and the PFAS soup we wear.
I will ask the media to follow up with my elected officials on our concerns.
This story broke yesterday. The 2nd in charge of IAFF is advising the President of the IAFF that millions of dollars are missing from the pension fund. That the president double dipped in the fund., and that the IAFF lawyer is lying.
https://medium.com/@lamarericslamar/iaff-the-edzo-strikes-back-3a9044d9a3ec
I’d like to discuss this with the congress and senate members on this email as this is an absolute disaster now..
We are asking for an immediate intervention from our lawmakers…
We deserve to know who knew what and when did they know it in the IAFF… It is our belief and one we feel needs to be looked at by a task force that the IAFF and NFPA have remained silent while receiving compensation and while constructing language that minimizes the harms of PFOA and amounts of, in turnout gear while in full knowledge of the harm.
Who will help us?
Diane Cotter
Rindge, New Hampshire