Home Republicans have launched a probe into allegations that American Federation of Academics’ dues had been spent to assist the union’s president, Randi Weingarten, write and promote a controversial guide.
The investigation by the GOP-led Home Committee on Schooling and Workforce comes after The Submit’s unique report in Might that Weingarten tapped into a whole bunch of 1000’s in union assets to assist pen her tome, “Why Fascists Concern Academics: Public Schooling and the Way forward for Democracy.”
“The prospect that rank-and-file educators’ dues might have financed a undertaking that generated non-public monetary achieve raises critical questions on transparency, accountability, and fiduciary duty inside one of many nation’s largest labor organizations,” the top of the committee mentioned in a Tuesday letter to Weingarten.
The letter, from Chairman Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) and Rep. Rick Allen (R-Georgia), chairman of the Subcommittee on Well being, Employment, Labor and Pensions, mentioned The Submit’s report — based mostly on a Freedom Basis evaluation of the union’s federal labor disclosures — raised critical questions.
They questioned “whether or not union funds, personnel, contractors, and different assets had been utilized to help the event and promotion of your guide whilst you (Weingarten) concurrently retained a portion of the ensuing royalties and proceeds.”
“In response to these studies, AFT expended substantial funds on consultants, authorized companies, publication-related bills, fact-checking companies, pictures, and different actions linked to the guide,” Walberg and Allen mentioned.
A staff that assisted Weingarten with the guide raked in additional than $1.4 million from the AFT’s coffers, The Submit beforehand reported based mostly on the Freedom Basis evaluation — together with an lawyer whose agency earned $977,000 for varied work for the union whereas he supposedly toiled on the guide professional bono, in addition to a supposed “ghost author” who earned over $400,000 total from the union, in accordance with its 2024-25 monetary report.
“These allegations, if correct, increase important questions relating to transparency, fiduciary obligations to union members, and using member dues,” the Home members mentioned.
Weingarten publicly said that a few of the proceeds from the guide would return to the AFT, the AFT Catastrophe Aid Fund and the AFT Academic Basis.
Union information revealed that two “royalty funds” totaling $125,000 had been made to a Weingarten-controlled entity known as “Academics Need What Youngsters Want, LLC,” which the Freedom Basis evaluation identified was not a tax-exempt charity however “an opaque company entity integrated in Delaware.”
The lawmakers famous that Weingarten mentioned the guide undertaking was undertaken in partnership with the AFT and claimed she did nothing unsuitable however, “the obtainable info warrants additional evaluation to find out the extent to which union assets had been dedicated to a undertaking from which you’ll have personally benefited financially.”
And the committee gave Weingarten homework.
As a part of its sweeping investigation, it requested Weingarten flip over by July 21 all AFT expenditures associated to the drafting, publishing, selling and tour actions related to the guide; all agreements between AFT and outdoors events and paperwork of all work carried out by AFT staff on the guide.
Walberg and Allen mentioned they’ve a duty to make sure that unions representing American employees function “transparently and that union members obtain a full accounting of how their dues are utilized.”
“The Committee expects your full cooperation,” they mentioned.
Weingarten had no instant remark.
She beforehand panned the Submit’s report as based mostly on a “fishing expedition” by a right-wing group, however admitted that the proceeds of the guide had been “shared equally” between her and the union.
Weingarten, who’s paid $469,442 by the AFT and who beforehand headed the union’s New York Metropolis affiliate, the United Federation of Academics, claimed she by no means hid that she would cut up the proceeds.
“Educators want individuals making the general public case for them, for crucial considering and for public colleges. I’m glad to have been in full partnership with the union on this undertaking — and any and all proceeds from the guide are shared equally,” she mentioned in Might.
Weingarten was additionally requested by the committee to submit paperwork spelling out all revenues, advances, royalties, licensing funds, talking charges generated by the guide; and the distribution of all proceeds generated by it, together with funds made to AFT, The AFT Academic Basis, The AFT Catastrophe Aid Fund and Academics Need What Youngsters Want, LLC.
The lawmakers moreover requested all paperwork regarding the formation, possession, governance, and function of Academics Need What Youngsters Want.
As well as, the huge request seeks paperwork for all journey, lodging, safety, communications, and promotional bills paid by AFT related to occasions selling the guide in addition to communications between AFT management and the writer, literary brokers, consultants, or exterior distributors relating to funding, promotion, or allocation of proceeds associated to the guide.
Lastly, the committee requested copies of AFT insurance policies governing using union assets for tasks which will generate private earnings for Weingarten or different union officers.
