DOJ Grand Jury Investigates UAW President Shawn Fain Ahead of Union Election

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a grand jury investigation into allegations involving United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain, according to internal union documents reviewed by Reuters. The probe focuses...

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a grand jury investigation into allegations involving United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain, according to internal union documents reviewed by Reuters. The probe focuses on claims 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 investigation was disclosed in a June 18 email from the lead counsel for the independent federal monitor overseeing the UAW.

The email stated that the monitor would withhold detailed findings related to the allegations out of respect for the ongoing DOJ grand jury investigation and would not publicly disclose the existence of the probe at that time. Fain has strongly denied the allegations, describing the monitor’s findings as "bogus" and politically motivated. He claimed Boyer provided false information to the monitor and alleged that federal monitor Neil Barofsky holds a personal and political grudge stemming from disagreements over the UAW leadership’s call for a Gaza ceasefire in 2024.

The investigation comes as Fain seeks a second four-year term as UAW president in an election scheduled for later this year. Boyer is among the candidates challenging Fain for the union’s top leadership position. The UAW declined to comment on the investigation.

A lawyer representing the union stated that the organization itself is not the subject of the grand jury inquiry. The Department of Justice also declined immediate comment, while Boyer and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment. The UAW has remained under federal oversight since a 2020 settlement that resolved a wide-ranging corruption scandal involving former union leaders.

More than a dozen officials pleaded guilty to embezzling union funds for personal expenses, including luxury travel, liquor, cigars, golf outings, and hotel stays. Two former UAW presidents were sentenced to prison, prompting ongoing federal monitoring aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency within the union.