The Teamsters union has filed charges against the two former top leaders of a large Minnesota local, accusing them of embezzlement and other financial misconduct, including racketeering in the form of bank fraud.
A Teamsters hearing on the charges against Bradley Slawson Sr. and Bradley Slawson Jr. of Local 120 has been set for late February, and the Slawsons at maximum could be forced to repay tens of thousands of dollars and face banishment from the Teamsters forever, said union spokesman Bret Caldwell.
The charges stem from an investigation into Local 120 by the Teamsters Independent Review Board (IRB), a quasi-governmental body. The review board, as a matter of course, forwarded its recommended charges against the Slawsons to the U.S. Justice and Labor Departments for possible criminal prosecution or civil action.
Brian Toder, a Minneapolis lawyer representing the Slawsons, said he does not expect any action by those government bodies.
In fact, "I seriously doubt there will be a [Teamsters hearing on the charges], and I expect my clients to be exonerated," Toder said. "These charges should never have been brought in the first place."
The Independent Review Board is tasked -- partly by the U.S. Justice Department -- with rooting out corruption in the Teamsters. The Teamsters international union in November took over Local 120 after the review board's investigation of the Slawsons' stewardship.
"The IRB investigation was calculated to find a particular result," Toder said. Last month, Slawson Sr. claimed he and his son are victims of a "witch hunt" because in 2010 they ceased supporting the Teamsters' top leader, James P. Hoffa.
The review board late last month recommended to Hoffa and the international union that the Slawsons be charged, the Star Tribune has learned. Hoffa then "adopted" the charges, said Caldwell.