For immediate release: October 16, 2015

Washington, D.C. – In the award-winning film Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese told the inside story of a cast of character’s scheme to escape justice. Now comes Badfellas, which lifts the curtain on the efforts of corporate interests and their political patrons in Washington to delay or deny justice to asbestos victims.

Badfellas, a parody website from EWG Action Fund, showcases the special interests and politicians advocating for legislation that would make it harder for asbestos victims and their families to collect compensation for the asbestos-triggered diseases that kill 12,000 to 15,000 Americans a year. In addition, the legislation would expose asbestos victims to heightened risk of identity theft.

The star-studded cast includes:

• Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, author of H.R. 526, the so-called FACT Act, and recipient since 2010 of almost $240,000 in campaign contributions from political action committees linked to companies with liability for exposing workers and consumers to asbestos.

• Charles and David Koch, the billionaire brothers whose empire includes Georgia-Pacific, the pulp and paper giant with estimated asbestos liability of almost $1 billion.

• Tom Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which, together with its Institute for Legal Reform, is estimated to have spent millions of dollars lobbying on the FACT Act.

Supporting players include:

• Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., author of the Senate version of the legislation.

• Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a major champion of the measure.

• Lisa B. Nelson, CEO of the American Legislative Exchange Council, the right-wing bill mill whose draft of a state-level version of the FACT Act was the template for bills that have become law in Arizona, Ohio, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Texas.

• David Cote, CEO of Honeywell International, which since 2010 has paid out more than $1 billion in asbestos damages, and whose PAC in that same period gave more than $245,000 in campaign contributions to Farenthold, Goodlatte and 17 other members of the House Judiciary Committee who approved H.R. 526.

A ticket to Badfellas lets the audience in on the behind-the-scenes stories of the cast, with documentation of how they have played a part. Viewers can learn more about the so-called FACT Act, how it will deplete funds to compensate asbestos victims and how to take action urging their representatives to oppose it.

“Unfortunately, the situation being played out by this cast of characters isn’t a movie, but real life with real consequences that could be crushing to asbestos victims and their families,” said Alex Formuzis with EWG Action Fund. “To protect the rights of innocent asbestos victims, we have to make sure that this different kind of disaster film never has its premiere.”

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 EWG Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that is a separate sister organization of the Environmental Working Group. The mission of EWG Action Fund is to protect health and the environment by educating the public and lobbying on a wide range of environmental issues. Donations to EWG Action Fund are not tax-deductible.