Three Teamsters were arrested Sep. 8 for their alleged roles in the brutal beatings of two Clinton protesters, off-duty Probation Officer Teri Adams, and her brother Don Adams, during a Clinton fundraising visit to Philadelphia in Oct. 1998. Warrants for their arrests were issued Aug. 26, 1999. The Adamses filed private criminal complaints against the three, Norma Bottomer, Mark Hopkins, and Charlie Davis in May. All belong to IBT Local 115. According to police, the three are charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment; and one felony count of riot and conspiracy.
Two other Teamsters, Kevin McNulty and Mark Nardone, pled guilty Jul. 1 to one felony count of riot and conspiracy; and two misdemeanor counts of assault. Their sentencing hearing has been continued three times at Dist. Atty. Lynne Abraham’s request and is scheduled for Sep. 24. Pa. Conference of Teamsters boss, John Morris, who appears on video to have signaled the attack by ramming a hat on Mr. Adams’ head — a union tactic known as “marking” — has yet to be charged by Abraham. “It’s scandalous that a union leader like Mr. Morris would seemingly encourage some members, including young adults, to commit violent, criminal acts,” said Ms. Adams. “As a Probation Officer and union member myself, I’ve always encouraged people to abide by the law and to respect others’ rights.” [Bus. Wire 9/9/99]
LABORERS (LIUNA)
Judge, Not Boss, Names Overseers
U.S. Dist. Judge Robert Gettleman appointed a former prosecutor and a retired Ill. S. Ct. Justice Aug. 31 to lead the effort to rid the Chicago Laborers’ Dist. Council of the Laborers’ Int’l Union of No. Am. of mob influence. Steven Miller, an 18-year veteran of the U.S. Atty.’s Office in Chicago, was named monitor — a quasi-prosecutor who will oversee internal charges against bosses. Seymour F. Simon, a former jurist on both the Ill. S. Ct. and the Ill. App. Ct., was named the adjudications officer — a quasi-judge who will decide bosses’ punishments.
The appointments came three weeks after CLDC agreed to a Consent Decree to settle a controversial racketeering suit filed by the Dep’t of Justice and LIUNA. In the suit alleged CLDC is dominated by the Chicago mafia and detailed nearly two dozen mafia members, associates and close relatives who served as bosses of CLDC’s $1.5 billion in pension and benefit funds. The monitorship is scheduled to last at least two years.
Reportedly, Gettleman personally pushed for Simon, who is 84 years old and who served on the Chicago City Council and Cook County Board in the 1950s and 1960s. He still practices law with Rudnick & Wolfe. Miller reportedly is an expert in prosecuting long-unsolved homicide cases by uncovering related financial frauds. Miller has been with the Sachnoff & Weaver law firm for five years. [Chi. Trib 9/1/99]
The upshot is this appears to be a refreshing change from LIUNA’s failed “internal reform effort” because in the CLDC case, a federal judge, and not the corrupt union president — Arthur A. Coia, is calling the shots.