Firm Sues D.A. Over Charges of Mob Ties : Courts: Nation’s largest trash company says it was maligned in report by San Diego County prosecutors.

The nation’s largest trash company sued the San Diego County district attorney Tuesday, charging in U.S. District Court that he had maligned the company’s reputation by alleging it has ties with organized crime.

Waste Management Inc., based in Oak Brook, Ill., charged that Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller’s statements are not only false but that he refused to allow the company to respond to his allegations before publishing them.

Miller made his charges in a March report to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. The county board had asked Miller to conduct a background check of the company because it wanted to operate a privately owned landfill in the county.

In his report, Miller noted that, “Historically, the refuse industry has been reputed to be infiltrated by members of organized crime. In many instances, this is a well-deserved reputation.”

He went on to identify several situations that he said showed Waste Management was linked to organized crime. The report focused on allegations that various company officials had criminal ties before they worked for Waste Management or that companies taken over by Waste Management had previous ties to organized crime.

Waste Management tried to refute Miller’s report by hiring the Los Angeles law firm of O’Melveny & Myers to conduct its own investigation. The law firm’s report concluded that Miller had offered “a few anecdotes which for the most part have nothing to do with Waste Management or anyone ever associated with it. . . .”

There is not now and never has been any connection between Waste Management and organized crime.”

But Waste Management said it was still reeling from Miller’s report, which the company says has since received worldwide notoriety, has tainted the company’s reputation and scared off potential customers.

Company officials say they want Miller to retract his allegations--and to recall all copies of the report so the offensive chapter can be destroyed.

Steve Casey, spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said: “We understand Waste Management has brought numerous lawsuits in the past, and so this is not a huge surprise,” he said. “The suit has no merit.”