U.S. Dist. Judge David N. Edelstein approved Sep. 14 an new timetable for the Teamsters rerun election. Members will vote Nov. 2-Dec. 3., and counting begins Dec. 3. The reason for the delay: the $538,000 money-laundering schemes employed by the disgraced and expelled president, Ron Carey’ campaign. Taxpayers have been forced to contribute $4 million to the rerun’s monitoring cost after paying nearly $20 million for the failed monitoring of the 1996 election. The corrupt union reluctantly agreed to pay $2 million. This is $2.6 million short of the $8.6 million originally requested. The savings will come from limiting protest processes and substituting electronic devices for security guards at the ballot counting. [BNA 9/16/98]
Texas Boss Gets 51 Months for Theft
A Houston Teamsters boss was sentenced Aug. 31 to 51 months in prison for using union funds for personal items such as underwear and monogrammed luggage. Richard Hammond was also ordered to pay $369,000 in restitution and fined $25,000. The former president and business manager of Local 988 was convicted on 14 counts of theft, embezzlement, fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors said the boss used a union credit card to buy over $60,000 in personal goods. Many items were bought from catalogs and shipped to his home. He also embezzled $75,000 from a union welfare fund and stole $44,000 from a union political action committee. [Houston Chronicle 9/1/98]
