Feds searched for these luxury items in raid on allegedly corrupt union official's home: unsealed records
Federal agents searched for luxury items including Louis XIII cognac, Ashton Monarch cigars and Nike golf accessories during the August raid of a United Auto Workers official's home, newly unsealed documents show.
The St. Louis home of UAW Region 5 director Vance Pearson, who is now on leave after being charged with corruption, was raided on Aug. 28. That same day, the feds raided the home of Gary Jones, the current UAW president.
The cognac can go for $3,750 per bottle, which is equal to 15 weeks of a UAW member's strike pay, The Detroit News reported.
UAW Region 5 director Vance Pearson is on leave.
The documents were unsealed Monday, well after Pearson was arrested and charged on Sept. 12. His arrest came shortly before UAW members at General Motors went on a nationwide strike.
Pearson is the 10th person charged in an investigation of the Detroit-based union's finances. Most of the corruption cases so far have centered on a Detroit training center jointly run by the UAW and Fiat Chrysler, but the scrutiny now is much wider. For example, a high-end lakefront cabin built for former UAW president Dennis Williams is part of a federal corruption investigation into the union, according to three sources cited by The Detroit News.
Jones had Pearson's job before becoming the national president in June 2018. Pearson also worked under Jones as assistant director.
"While these allegations are very concerning, we strongly believe that the government has misconstrued any number of facts and emphasize that these are merely allegations, not proof of wrongdoing," UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg said in response to the charges against Pearson. "Regardless, we will not let this distract us from the critical negotiations underway with GM to gain better wages and benefits."
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FOX Business' Ann Schmidt contributed to this report.