The FBI with the IRS in tow has raided the home of UAW president Gary Jones, the Feds confirm.
There is currently a large scale investigation into the UAW union in Michigan for corruption. The investigation is into seeing if the auto manufacturers are trying to influence (Buy off) union leaders in order to get more favorable contracts from their employees.
Eight people have already pleaded guilty being involved in the corruption and Fiat Chrysler executives have been enriching themselves through a training program they run.
Union execs are accused of using the Fiat Chrysler Center as a personal piggy bank.
“The UAW and President Gary Jones have always fully cooperated with the government investigators in this matter,” the UAW said in a statement. “As the leader of the UAW, President Jones is determined to uncover and address any and all wrongdoing, wherever it might lead. There was absolutely no need for search warrants to be used by the government today — the UAW has voluntarily responded to every request the government has made throughout the course of its investigation, produced literally hundreds of thousands of documents and other materials to the government, and most importantly, when wrongdoing has been discovered, we have taken strong action to address it.”
“Trust in UAW leadership is never more important than during the bargaining process, when profit-laden auto companies stand to benefit from media leaks, false assumptions, and political grandstanding,” the statement adds. “The sole focus of President Jones and his team will be winning at the bargaining table for our members.”
For two years, the union has dealt with unflattering stories about senior leaders turning the UAW-Fiat Chrysler center into a personal piggy bank. The government said General Holiefield, who was responsible for negotiating with Fiat Chrysler on behalf of the union, had a $262,000 mortgage paid off in 2014. He died in 2015.