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The Rich Zeoli Show

Government Overreach + Eric Adams Remains in the NYC Mayoral Race

The Rich Zeoli Show

Audacy

News

4.9 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 4: 6:05pm- Attorney Michael Rinaldi—Partner at Duane Morris LLP—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss government overreach. “A legacy federal indictment initiated by the Biden administration’s U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington is still moving forward against two small business owners (and father and son), John and Joshua Owens, for allegedly importing and distributing diesel emissions-related components without EPA authorization.1 These weaponized charges—framed as a Clean Air Act conspiracy and for which the Department of Justice has never before sought such criminal penalties—carry up to 20 years in prison. Their alleged crime? Operating in a regulatory gray zone where vague EPA guidance and unclear enforcement thresholds make compliance nearly impossible for honest entrepreneurs. The case is emblematic of the broader federal bureaucracy’s war on working-class Americans and small business operators—especially those who support the industries that power rural and agricultural communities. The targeted small business owners primarily served customers in industries critical to the American economy—agriculture, heavy construction, and freight transport. The prosecution is not rooted in any danger to the public, but in a federal bureaucracy out of touch with the people it regulates. The Clean Air Act was never intended to serve as a criminal cudgel against American tradesmen. Yet the Biden DOJ and EPA weaponized this law to send a political message. The case is proceeding despite efforts by the Trump DOJ and EPA to end the criminalization of alleged technical violations of ambiguous rules. The continued prosecution offends core American values of due process and a fair regulatory regime. Legacy federal bureaucrats in Washington State should not be able jail men for failing to navigate a convoluted EPA rulebook. No federal agency should hold unchecked power to ruin lives over arbitrary enforcement.” 6:30pm- A new clip of New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill (D) shows her stating, “I would push an LGBTQ education into our schools.”

Transcript

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0:00.0

The Rich Zioly Show podcast is sponsored by Mike Vaneria Jr. with Osperity Private Wealth.

0:05.4

Hi, I'm Mike Vaneria Jr., wealth management specialists. Make your retirement dreams a reality by creating your retirement plan today. Call me at 856-252-0107.

0:15.9

All right, joining me now to talk about a really complex case that I think you're going to have a lot to say about.

0:22.8

Michael Rinaldi is a partner at Dwayne Morris.

0:26.2

He practices in the area of litigation with a focus on white collar criminal defense, corporate and regulatory investigations, and complex business litigation.

0:34.0

He's a former federal prosecutor.

0:36.2

And this is a really interesting case. He's also a

0:40.9

local guy, too. He got his degree at Villanova. So first of all, as every guest who comes on

0:47.7

these days, I say, first of all, congratulations on the Pope. That's a big win for you guys.

0:51.7

Absolutely. And also on your new basketball coach.

0:54.6

As a Maryland guy, you know, kind of still a little fresh, but nevertheless, congratulations.

1:00.8

Thank you very much.

1:01.6

I appreciate it.

1:02.5

Yeah, good luck.

1:03.3

Best of luck to you in your season.

1:05.9

So talk to me about this case.

1:08.1

This began under the Biden administration, and I've seen the picture of the family here, beautiful family, and this is kind of a mess here.

1:18.7

And I know the EPA administrator, Lee Zeldon, is really trying to do something about this.

1:23.8

So give us the background, Michael, if you could, and how all this began.

1:28.3

So in the very last days of the Biden administration, this prosecution was brought.

1:34.9

I mean, we're talking the very end of the Biden administration.

1:38.3

Joe Biden and Merrick Garland and Biden's U.S. attorney, Vanessa Waldorf, out in the Eastern District of Washington,

...

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