Posts tagged DOJ
Watchdog critic of TARP bailouts plays role in Shawn Fain graft controversy
July 15, 2026 // The DOJ is probing claims that Fain pressured a union official to provide financial benefits to his fiancee and a workers’ compensation claim for her sister, according to Bloomberg. Fain then allegedly punished UAW Vice President Rich Boyer for not approving the benefits by taking away Boyer’s position as lead negotiator with automaker Stellantis. Last month, Barofsky, the court-appointed monitor for the union, released a report about the accusations against Fain. “The Monitor’s investigation substantiated the claim that President Fain acted improperly to obtain financial benefits for his fiancée, and that Vice President Boyer’s failure to approve the bonus may have contributed to Fain’s retaliatory action against him,” Barofsky wrote.
Shawn Fain decries DOJ investigation over allegations he abused his office
July 14, 2026 // After UAW Vice President Rich Boyer accused Fain of using his position to seek favors for his fiancée and her sister, and of retaliating and making false accusations against him, the DOJ launched an investigation into the union leader, according to internal communications obtained by Bloomberg. Fain has also claimed the investigation is motivated by retaliation against his anti-corporate stance and hinted that the timing, coming right before a union election, is no coincidence. Boyer is running for the top position.
Unions heighten calls for a bigger federal pay boost next year
April 15, 2026 //
VA re-terminates AFGE contract for 300K employees, despite court order to restore it
March 30, 2026 // The Office of Personnel Management initially told agencies to hold off on terminating labor contracts with unions while legal challenges were still pending. But OPM reversed course last month, when it advised agencies to proceed with either amending or fully canceling their collective bargaining agreements. In granting her preliminary injunction, DuBose wrote that she did not determine whether the Trump administration exceeded its legal authority when it issued its executive orders rolling back collective bargaining rights. The legality of the executive order is still under review by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Mail Handlers Union Boss Max Jaramillo Faces Multiple Criminal Charges
February 10, 2026 // On January 6, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, Max Jaramillo, former Treasurer of Mail Handlers Local 331 (located in Albuquerque, N. Mex.), was charged with two counts of wire fraud for submitting false Form LM-3 Labor Organization Annual Reports and three counts of embezzlement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 29 U.S.C. 501(c), respectively. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.
Congress guarantees furloughed feds’ back pay despite continued White House maneuvering
February 3, 2026 // The Office of Personnel Management removed citations of the 2019 Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act from its shutdown guidance last month, as the Trump administration continues to insist that the law guaranteeing all federal employees back pay after a shutdown doesn’t.
NTEU, White House spar over whether unions can challenge their ouster administratively
January 25, 2026 // The Trump administration contends unions can seek review of their ouster from most federal agencies on national security grounds before the Federal Labor Relations Authority, but labor groups say that analysis misconstrues a term of art in federal labor law.
Iron Workers President Kyle Chasse to Serve 3 Years Probation
January 2, 2026 // On October 7, 2025, in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, Kyle Chasse, former President of Iron Workers Local 745 (located in Kittery, Maine), was sentenced to three years of probation. Chasse was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,533, a fine of $2,000, and a $1,300 special assessment. On June 26, 2025, Chasse pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 18 U.S.C. 1001(a)(3), respectively. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office.
NFLPA lawyer Heather McPhee sues union for alleged retaliation
December 22, 2025 // Heather McPhee, the NFLPA's associate general counsel since 2009, accuses top union executives and former executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. of illegal misconduct, sex discrimination, breach of fiduciary duty and retaliation as she prepared to become the star witness in a yearlong criminal inquiry, according to the lawsuit. McPhee says she was placed on paid administrative leave for alleged workplace "misconduct" in August because she had repeatedly raised legal concerns about union leaders' decisions and to stop her from testifying before a federal grand jury investigating the NFLPA and the Major League Baseball Players Association.
UAW president’s chief of staff to leave the union following federal monitor report
December 19, 2025 // A key United Auto Workers strategist and architect of the union’s 2023 auto-factory strike is leaving the labor group, after a report by the federal monitor overseeing the UAW concluded that he was part of a campaign to improperly remove duties from another union leader. Chris Brooks, chief of staff to UAW President Shawn Fain, will no longer be employed by the union as of December 31, according to a report released on Thursday by the monitor’s office.