A person carries a flag with the patch from the United Auto Workers labor union during a May Day rally for media workers held by The NewsGuild of New York on International Workers' Day in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., May 1, 2021.
Several UAW officers, including two former UAW presidents, have pleaded guilty to embezzling millions of dollars for their personal benefit, using the funds for liquor, cigars, golf outings, related equipment and expensive hotel stays. Barofsky did not provide details on the open investigations. Under the Justice Department consent decree, he has authority to exercise disciplinary powers within the UAW, investigate possible fraud or corruption within the union and seek discipline against UAW officers and members.
The UAW did not comment Thursday, but in an email President Ray Curry said to members: "We continue to be committed to transparency and the substantive and ongoing Ethics Reforms package that has been instituted over the past two years." This week, U.S. prosecutors in Detroit charged the financial secretary-treasurer of UAW Local 412 with embezzling over $2 million in union funds.