Free Republic

A Los Angeles labor leader now the target of a corruption probe routinely ordered employees of a charity he headed to work on campaigns for political candidates -- a practice barred by law -- according to people who said they participated in such activities. Tyrone Freeman, president of the Service Employees International Union's largest California local, later denied to the Internal Revenue Service that the charity employees were required to do campaign work, said a person close to an IRS inquiry into the matter. Because they are subsidized by taxpayers, charities are forbidden to take part in campaigns for public...

The former top labor leader in Los Angeles County was sentenced to three years of probation Friday and temporarily barred from raising political money after pleading guilty to state charges of conspiracy and violating campaign laws. Martin Ludlow also was fined $15,000 but with court fees that figure will reach about $45,000, Deputy District Attorney Max Huntsman said. State and federal prosecutors charged Ludlow with conspiring with a former union official to illegally divert more than $36,000 in union funds to help finance his successful 2003 City Council campaign. He resigned from the council last year to become head of...

<p>Labor leader Sean Harrigan beat out San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown as the new president of the nation's largest pension fund, despite Gov. Gray Davis' endorsement of Brown.</p> <p>Harrigan, vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, will succeed William Crist as the head of the California Public Employees' Retirement System governing board. Crist is retiring after 11 years as president.</p>