TEAMSTERS (IBT) / ELECTIONS & POLITICS
Hoffa Rewards Congressional Investigator
Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) earned a zero rating for his legislative
votes in 1999 from the Int'l Bhd. of Teamsters, nevertheless IBT endorsed
Hoekstra for reelection according to an Apr. 27 report. The endorsement,
which IBT sources admit will be controversial, has yet to be officially
announced. Hoekstra led a Congressional investigation of ex-IBT boss Ron
Carey that helped pave the way for arch-rival, James P. Hoffa, to win
the union presidency. Hoekstra spoke at a delegates meeting in Detroit
on Apr. 20 where he secured the endorsement.
In Mar. 2000, Hoekstra had Hoffa appear before his subcommittee and the two Michiganders jointly called for the ever-controversial Clinton-Reno Dep't of Justice to end its control over IBT. Under the 1989 Consent Decree, DOJ has broad authority to "root out" IBT corruption. Despite this "DOJ oversight," the Carey campaign was able to launder money from IBT's treasury to steal the union's 1996 election.
Mich. Teamsters Jt. Council 43 spokesman Bill Black said "Hoekstra's message was one that we are very, very interested in and that is that it is time for the consent decree to end and it is time for the government to get out of the Teamsters business,"
"It will not be a popular endorsement for all the members of this union. But it was the right endorsement for the overall big picture for this union," Black said. "We realize what his voting record is and we also realize that the Democrats have not done a whole lot to help us out with this consent decree and in getting the government out of our business."
Hoekstra spokesman Jon Brandt called the endorsement "an affirmation that they think he did right by them in everything that we went through in the past several years." Brandt said he was specifically referring to the Carey investigations and said that the endorsement "showed that we handled that investigation in a forthright manner and were fair." [Roll Call 4/27/00]
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