The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a grand jury investigation into allegations against United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain, according to internal union documents reviewed by Reuters. The investigation stems from findings by the federally appointed union monitor, which alleged that Fain improperly used his authority to benefit his fiancée and retaliated against senior union official Rich Boyer after he objected to those actions. The monitor has temporarily withheld the full details of its findings due to the ongoing federal probe.
Fain has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as “bogus” and politically motivated. He claimed that Boyer provided false information to the union monitor and alleged that the monitor held a personal grudge against him following disagreements over the UAW’s stance on the Gaza conflict. Fain, who is seeking a second four-year term as UAW president in elections scheduled later this year, said his legal team is exploring all available options to challenge the allegations. The UAW declined to comment, while officials stated that the union itself is not the subject of the grand jury investigation.
The UAW has remained under federal oversight since a 2020 settlement that followed a major corruption scandal involving more than a dozen union officials. The scandal resulted in multiple guilty pleas for embezzlement, misuse of union funds, and lavish personal spending, with two former union presidents receiving prison sentences. It remains unclear whether the latest DOJ investigation will affect Fain’s bid for re-election as the union prepares for its leadership contest later this year.
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