Looks like the dems fund-raising efforts might have hit a wall? (Union busts) “piles of cash found” [snicker]
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FBI raids two UAW presidents’ homes as part of nationwide sweep in corruption probe
https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2019/08/28/uaw-president-gary-jones-fbi-raid/2140270001/
FBI and IRS agents raided the home of UAW President Gary Jones in metro Detroit early Wednesday as part of a nationwide sweep of sites tied to the autoworker union.
Agents also raided the California home of Dennis Williams, who preceded Jones as UAW chief; the union’s northern Michigan conference center; and additional UAW locations in Wisconsin and Missouri.
The raids were a major step as federal officials ramped up their corruption investigation of the autoworkers union — which is in the midst of contract negotiations with Detroit automakers.
As many as a dozen agents collected evidence from Jones’ home on Wildrose Drive in Canton, and would remain there “as long as it takes,” Special Agent Mara Schneider said from the site late in the morning. The search lasted six hours.
She declined to say whether Jones, 62, was home when agents arrived or during the raid. The agents conducted what is called a “knock and announce” protocol.
One neighbor, 47-year-old J. Kevin Telepo, became so intrigued that he grabbed his Swarovski binoculars, sat in his dining room and zoomed in on Jones’ garage. That’s where he saw FBI agents combing through all sorts of stuff: cash, a golf bag and what appeared to be a safe, he said.
Telepo said he saw the agents counting “wads” of cash. He texted his wife and neighbors about the raid.
“FBI raiding neighbor’s house” read the first text.
“What did he do?” responded his wife.
He wrote back: “Not sure. FBI & IRS. Pile of cash in garage.”
The raids presumably are linked to an ongoing scandal that’s been centered on misspent money intended for use by the union’s joint training center with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, but has expanded in recent weeks to include vendor contracts and to touch officials tied to the union’s General Motors training center.
The scheme redirected millions of dollars meant for worker training to goodies for former union and company officials. Nine people have been charged so far.
Besides Jones’ home, agents were at the union’s Black Lake Conference Center, a 1,000-acre resort in northern Lower Michigan that includes a golf course, where the UAW is building an opulent cottage for Williams as a perk of his retirement last year.
The center near Onaway, subsidized by interest from the union’s strike fund, has bled tens of millions of dollars over the years.
The Free Press confirmed that Williams’ home in Corona, California, also was raided. Williams’ name surfaced in the scandal last year.
[more at link]
This is very significant.
Tunnels, you say?
"The ideal space would be a human-made underground environment spanning several city blocks w/ complex layout & multiple stories, including atriums, tunnels & stairwells. Spaces that are currently closed off from pedestrians or can be temporarily used for testing are of interest."
And, by the way, "underground" tunnels? Is there any other kind?!?