The Teamster Election Supervisor ruled today that the Hoffa administration did not violate the Election Rules when it stonewalled corruption investigations. Teamsters who are demanding a rerun of the 2016 International Union election will now take their case to Judge Kathleen Roberts.

After Hoffa-Hall slate member Rome Aloise was charged with corruption, the Hoffa-Hall administration began spending millions in members’ dues to stonewall corruption investigators’ requests for IBT emails and documents.

On March 28, Judge Roberts remanded this issue back to the Election Supervisor for investigation and a ruling.   

Teamsters United argued that the Hoffa administration delayed the corruption proceedings to boost Hoffa-Hall’s reelection changes.

The Hoffa administration argued that stonewalling corruption investigators advanced legitimate institutional interests of the union.

In a 54-page decision released today, Election Supervisor Richard Mark agreed with the Hoffa administration’s legal arguments.

Mark ruled that, “The IBT’s decisions on these matters did not have the purpose or object of influencing the election of any candidate on the Hoffa-Hall 2016 slate or of Aloise in particular.”

The Election Supervisor’s own decision shows the election was clearly on the Hoffa legal team’s mind.

Outside attorneys hired by the Hoffa administration, not the Hoffa campaign, openly talked about “eating up the clock” on the Aloise charges “to get past the election season.” [See Page 31 of the decision.]

Hoffa’s inside counsel Gary Witlen told Election Supervisor investigators that the decision on how to handle the Aloise charges had already been made.

The dispute will now go back to Judge Kathleen Roberts, the Election Appeals Master.

With Mark’s lengthy ruling in hand, Judge Roberts will revisit the question of an Election Rerun. There is no timetable for her decision.