• Sen. Adam Schiff accuses the Trump administration of altering Ohio lake water flow for VP Vance’s kayaking trip.
• Letter demands details from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Army Corps, and the Secret Service.
• Schiff calls it a misuse of public resources, citing past water diversion controversies.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is pressing the Trump administration over an alleged decision to raise water levels at Caesar Creek Lake in Ohio so Vice President J.D. Vance and his family could enjoy smoother conditions for a birthday kayaking trip.

In a letter sent Thursday to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Army civil works chief Adam Telle, and U.S. Secret Service director Sean Curran, Schiff expressed “serious concern” about what he called “an inappropriate and embarrassing abuse of power over publicly owned resources.”

According to reports, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adjusted the lake’s outflow to raise water levels by two feet ahead of the vice president’s August 2 family outing. Federal officials claim the decision was made to ensure safe navigation for Vance’s security team, but Schiff says it appears to have been for personal benefit.

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A source told The Hill that during a scouting mission, a joint safety boat carrying Secret Service and public safety officials ran aground — prompting a request for higher water levels. The Secret Service insists Vance was unaware of the adjustment.

Schiff, however, argued that while water level changes are sometimes approved for emergency training exercises, doing so solely for recreation undermines public trust. “The misuse of public water resources for the vice president’s family is particularly offensive considering this administration’s cuts to federal agencies,” he wrote.

The senator demanded detailed documentation on how much water was diverted, its original allocation, and any analysis of impacts on downstream water resources, navigation, or environmental quality. He also requested confirmation Vance was not informed of the plan — and if not, why.

Schiff’s letter linked the Caesar Creek incident to what he called a broader pattern of public resource exploitation under President Donald Trump. He cited Trump’s February order directing the Corps to release 2.2 billion gallons from California reservoirs to fight Los Angeles wildfires — a move critics said was political theater that failed to improve containment and risked Central Valley flooding.

“That reckless act put farms and residents at risk and wasted water intended for irrigation during the driest months of the year,” Schiff wrote. “The Caesar Creek episode shows this administration’s willingness to exploit public resources for personal and political benefit.”

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He concluded by urging the Corps to pledge that it would reject personal requests outside its mission.

A Secret Service spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter and said the agency will respond through official channels. The Defense Department has not yet commented.

Will this latest allegation deepen questions about political favoritism in the Trump administration’s use of public assets?

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