1309 Vincent Place, Suite 1000
McLean, Virginia 22101
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 30, 1998
CONTACT: Dan Rene 703-847-3088
WASHINGTON, D.C. --National Legal and Policy Center Chairman Ken Boehm
had the following statement regarding today's appearance of AFL-CIO President
John Sweeney before the House Education and Workforce Committee.
"Rep. Peter Hoekstra's hearing today offers a rare opportunity to
get answers out of the Sweeney AFL-CIO and bring all those connected to
the Teamsters scandal to justice."
"It is imperative that AFL-CIO President John Sweeney address the
following questions in today's hearing."
(1) On November 17, 1997, the court-appointed Teamsters election officer
found that AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka helped confessed
criminal Martin Davis move $150,000 of Teamsters' general treasury funds
through the AFL-CIO to Citizen Action which routed $100,000 back to Davis'
firm for Ron Carey's campaign expenses. To avoid testifying about this
potentially criminal act, Trumka invoked the Fifth Amendment. You chose
not to enforce the 1957 federation rule mandating expulsion of union officials
who invoke the Fifth when questioned about union corruption. How do you
justify that Trumka's use of the Fifth Amendment did not vilate this AFL-CIO
ethics rule?
(2) The Election Officers also found that Trumka worked with confessed
criminals Davis and Jere Nash to raise $50,000 for the Carey campaign.
The election officer stated this violated the rule banning non-Teamsters
union officials from contributing or soliciting funds for Teamsters candidates.
Trumka again invoked the Fifth. How do you justify that Trumka's use of
the Fifth Amendment did not vilate this AFL-CIO ethics rule?
(3) Why don't you expel Trumka from the AFL-CIO for using the Fifth for
"personal protection and to avoid scrutiny...into alleged corruption
on his part" as the AFL-CIO ethics rule mandates?
(4) At the January AFL-CIO Executive Council meeting, you said of the Teamsters
scandal, "[There is] no room in the labor movement for corruption
or any wrongdoing. I would hope whatever the allegations are they could
be cleared up as fast as possible." Will you demand that Trumka change
his mind on taking the Fifth and answer all federal investigators' questions
so as to clear up this Teamsters scandal as fast as possible? Will you
demand the Teamsters and others who have not cooperated with this Subcommittee
to now start so as to clear up this Teamsters scandal as fast as possible?
(5) In November 1997, you stated that the AFL-CIO has been "conducting its own internal inquiry" into Trumka's role in the Teamsters scandals. Who is working on this internal inquiry? To whom do those conducting the inquiry report? Are those conducting the inquiry working with the federal investigators? Will the inquiry's findings be made public? What has the inquiry found so far?
(6) Since you have not expelled Trumka from the AFL-CIO, what is your
threshold for Trumka's expulsion? Will you commit to expelling Trumka if
he is indicted on criminal charges?
(7) Since Ron Carey, AFSCME's Gerald McEntee and SEIU's Andrew Stern are
close allies and key supporters of yours, what will happen to your governing
coalition if any of these three are indicted and/or convicted for their
respective roles in this Teamsters scandal? Will you have enough support
to maintain control of the AFL-CIO? Do you fear a challenge similar to
the one Lane Kirkland faced in 1995? Will you resign? Who is your likely
successor?
NLPC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation promoting ethics and accountability
in government. NLPC was a plaintiff in the lawsuit which succeeded in opening
the records of Hillary Rodham Clinton's Health Care Task Force. NLPC's
Organized Labor Accountability Project is investigating and exposing corruption
in the Teamsters, LIUNA, AFL-CIO and other labor organizations.
###