July 29, 2008: Bobby Hogan, the former secretary-treasurer of Chicago Local 714, has lashed out at IBT President James Hoffa.

Hogan has called out Hoffa for his “cowardly abdication of leadership, a betrayal of basic union democracy and of long-time supporters.”

In a July 17 letter, Hogan accuses Hoffa of becoming a tool of the Independent Review Board (IRB).

The letter is noteworthy because the Hogan family members have been major political supporters of Hoffa. Billy Hogan, Bobby’s father, was Hoffa’s original running mate in 1996 on the Hoffa-Hogan ticket. Hogan was later dropped from the slate when the IRB, the anti-corruption body which makes recommendations to the union, started investigating Hogan and Local 714.

Hogan also criticizes the IRB's filing of charges against Teamsters for having personal associations with former Teamsters who have been expelled from the union.

In June, Hoffa placed Local 714 in trusteeship, following a recommendation of the IRB to do so. Hoffa’s statement of reasons for the trusteeship included serious charges that the union was run for the benefit of the Hogan family.

Click here to see a copy of Hogan’s letter to Hoffa.