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Brown: Union officials convictions upheld

By Tim Cone

In U.S. v. Brown, No. 05-11137 (Oct. 25, 2007), the Court affirmed the convictions and sentences of defendants convicted of fraud involving union moneys, in violation of RICO and Taft-Hartley Act laws. The defendants were the executive director of a union and his assistant, who received payments from firms who employed potential union members.The Court rejected the argument that there was insufficient evidence to support the Taft-Hartley counts. The defendants argued that employees of a firm that made payments to them belonged to another union, and therefore could not be considered persons who might be "admitted to membership" in defendants? firm, a requirement for Taft-Hartley liability. But the Court found that because these employees could have been solicited to join the defendants? union despite this roadblock...continue to full post

Full post as published by Defense Newsletter Blog on October 25, 2007 (boomark / email).