International Union of Operating Engineers Local 68 is a Giblin family affair. Federal law enforcement officials think this affair has been going on for too long. In an exclusive interview with Brian Thompson of New York City’s WNBC-TV, Tom Giblin, the union’s business manager, admitted that agents from the Labor Department’s Office of Inspector General had executed a search warrant of the West Caldwell, N.J. union’s offices. Moreover, the agents had served subpoenas on several employees who manage the union’s trust funds.
Giblin hastened to note that he himself had not been served, and added that the searches were based on questionable accusations of a disgruntled former employee. But that hardly means he’s out of the woods. Law enforcement sources told Thompson that Giblin is a key target of a corruption probe, along with his brother, Vincent, a top official of the international union. What’s more, agents on November 21 searched the home of Vincent Giblin’s son, Dennis, who runs Local 68’s trust funds. The unfolding case has political significance for New Jersey. Tom Giblin long has been active in Essex County politics, and for several years was chairman of the state Democratic Party. (WNBC-TV.com, 11/22/06).