DOJ Opens Investigation Into Allegations Against UAW President Shawn Fain

The Department of Justice has opened a grand jury investigation into allegations against United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain involving claims that he improperly used his position to benefit his fiancée and retaliated against a senior union official who objected to the arrangement.

The investigation stems from findings by court-appointed federal monitor Neil Barofsky, who oversees the UAW under a 2020 consent decree established after the union’s corruption scandal. According to the monitor’s reports, Fain is accused of attempting to secure financial benefits for his fiancée, who works at a joint UAW-Stellantis training center, and retaliating against UAW Vice President Rich Boyer after Boyer allegedly refused to approve a bonus.

Federal prosecutors have reportedly issued grand jury subpoenas as part of the investigation. The Justice Department has not publicly commented on the probe, and the UAW said the union itself is not the target of the investigation.

Fain has forcefully denied the allegations, calling them “bogus” and politically motivated. He accused Boyer of making false claims in an effort to influence the upcoming UAW leadership election and claimed the federal monitor has a personal and political grudge against him.

The federal monitor previously concluded there was evidence that Fain retaliated against Boyer and improperly exercised his authority in ways that benefited his fiancée. However, the monitor postponed any disciplinary action after learning of the Justice Department’s grand jury investigation.

The investigation comes as Fain seeks a second four-year term as UAW president. Boyer is among several candidates challenging him in the union election later this year, adding another layer of tension to an already contentious leadership race.

The UAW has remained under federal oversight since reaching a settlement with the Justice Department in 2020 following a sweeping corruption investigation that resulted in the convictions of more than a dozen union officials, including two former UAW presidents. The independent monitor was appointed to ensure reforms were implemented and to investigate future allegations of misconduct.