Two officials with the International Association of Fire Fighters, a top firefighters union, are under criminal investigation by the federal government.
Subpoenas from the FBI, the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, and the Labor Department have been sent to the union regarding massive pension payments that were allegedly given to leaders while they were still employed, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
Sources close to the investigation said that Harold Schaitberger, who has been the union’s president since 2001, has taken more than $1 million from his pension despite still being employed by the union. Authorities subpoenaed former Treasurer Thomas Miller, whom they believe may have similarly siphoned pension funds before retiring.
“The IAFF strongly reaffirms that it did not engage in any wrongdoing,” the union said in a statement. “The documents requested relate to issues that were approved by the elected IAFF Executive Board over the past 20 years under the guidance of pension actuaries and legal counsel.”
In an email Wednesday, Schaitberger told board members that he believes the investigation is a ploy to undermine the union. The alleged pension payments were first reported by Edward Kelly, the treasurer who replaced Miller, earlier this year in a 100-page report that was delivered to the union’s board. The report accused Schaitberger of other financial wrongdoings.
The International Association of Fire Fighters was the first major union to endorse Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the presidential race. Schaitberger has been a longtime associate of Biden’s.
President Trump unleashed a tweetstorm in response to the endorsement, singling out firefighters who disagreed with the endorsement and voiced support for the president.
