John Dougherty, the politically powerful boss of Local 98 of the IBEW in Philadelphia.
Emma Lee / WHYY
John Dougherty, the politically powerful boss of Local 98 of the IBEW in Philadelphia.
Emma Lee / WHYY
(Philadelphia) — Federal agents have searched two sites connected to a Philadelphia-based union, apparently as part of an ongoing investigation of an indicted powerful labor boss.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the FBI served search warrants Friday at the headquarters of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and its apprentice training building on the same block.
Agents remained on scene for several hours, though it wasn’t immediately clear what they were searching for. An attorney for Local 98 leader John Dougherty said union officials were still gathering information on the nature of the warrants.
A similar FBI raid four years ago led to the indictment last year of Dougherty, Philadelphia City Councilman Bobby Henon and six other Local 98 officials and members on bribery and embezzlement charges.
Federal prosecutors have accused Dougherty of bribing Henon for years with a union salary in order to buy his influence and council vote on matters of interest to the union. Dougherty, Henon and the other defendants have maintained their innocence.
Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, host Tim Lambert will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.
The days of journalism’s one-way street of simply producing stories for the public have long been over. Now, it’s time to find better ways to interact with you and ensure we meet your high standards of what a credible media organization should be.