by Christen Smith
New legal documents filed recently in an ongoing union corruption case in Pennsylvania say officials funneled $1.8 million into a trust fund that’s yet to be recovered and then destroyed evidence of its existence.
The lawsuit, filed in 2020 by The Fairness Center on behalf of three workers at a state prison in Huntingdon, accused the treasurer of the local chapter of the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association of misappropriating $20,000 between 2009 and 2018.
The three workers – Cory Yedlosky, William Weyant, and Chris Taylor – even shared their concerns with union executive board members in Harrisburg but were ignored, according to court documents.
A subsequent internal forensic audit uncovered credit charges totaling upward of $400,000 for personal frivolities for local and state union leaders across the state. A $12,000 Rolex, tickets to a Miami Dolphins game, $3,000 bar tabs and luxury golf trips were among the charges listed in court filings.
In February, the workers requested a summary judgment to recover their lost union dues and legal costs. Relief also seeks the return of all embezzled funds “that cannot be accounted for or demonstrated to be properly paid, with interest.”
The lawsuit echoes a nationwide trend of union corruption that’s drawn congressional attention. In March, Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican representing North Carolina’s 5th District, penned a letter to 12 unions representing roughly 7.8 million workers requesting information about internal fraud prevention policies.
– – –
Christen is Pennsylvania editor for The Center Square newswire service and co-host of Pennsylvania in Focus, a weekly podcast on America’s Talking Network. Recognized by Editor and Publisher Magazine as one of the media industry’s “Top 25 Under 35” in 2024.
