Adam B. Schiff
DemocratU.S. Senator, CA| Age | 65 (b. 1960-06-22) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2001-01-03 (~25 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (Ashkenazi Jewish; of Lithuanian Jewish descent) |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Education | B.A. in political science, Stanford University (1982, with distinction); J.D., Harvard Law School (1985) |
| Prior occupation | Lawyer; Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California (1987-1993), where he prosecuted the espionage case against former FBI agent Richard Miller; earlier a law clerk for U.S. District Judge William Matthew Byrne Jr. |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Framingham, Massachusetts |
| Marital status | Married — Eve Sanderson Schiff |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Burbank, California |
Pending research: languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1996 |
| Previous offices | California State Senate, 21st district (1996-2000) · U.S. House of Representatives, California (2001-2024; districts CA-27, CA-29, CA-28, CA-30) |
| Committees | Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry · Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works · Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship |
| Caucuses | New Democrat Coalition |
| Leadership | Chair, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (2019-2023) · Ranking Member, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (2015-2019) · Lead impeachment manager, first impeachment trial of Donald Trump (2020) · Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property · Ranking Member, Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife |
| Ideology | Generally rated as a liberal-to-moderate Democrat by political observers; characterized historically as among the more moderate House Democrats (New Democrat Coalition member) who became a leading progressive-aligned figure during the Trump era. |
| Signature legislation | Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act (signed into law 2010) · House Resolution 106 / Armenian Genocide recognition resolution (passed House 2019) · Telephone Metadata Reform Act (2014) · Gold Line transit authority legislation (California State Senate, SB 1847, 1998) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $1,000,000–$2,370,000 (2023) · estimate
| Fidelity Puritan Fund (FPURX) | fund · –$500,000 · 2025 |
| Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) | fund · –$500,000 · 2025 |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | stock · –$250,000 · 2025 |
| Franklin Growth Opportunities Fund (FGRAX) | fund · –$250,000 · 2025 |
| Franklin Managed Trust Rising Dividends Fund (FRDPX) | fund · –$250,000 · 2025 |
| Residential real estate (homes in California and Maryland) | real_estate · 2023 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — U.S. House censure of Adam Schiff (H.Res. 521)
On June 21, 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 213-209, along party lines, to censure Representative Adam Schiff via H.Res. 521, introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL). The resolution alleged that Schiff, as Chair and Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, misled the public by promoting claims of Trump-Russia collusion and engaged in 'falsehoods, misrepresentations, and abuses of sensitive information.' It also directed the House Ethics Committee to investigate. An earlier version that included a proposed $16 million fine was tabled; the version that passed removed the fine. Schiff denied the allegations and characterized the censure as politically motivated. Censure is a formal disciplinary action by the House but carries no removal from office; Schiff remained a member and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2024.