DOJ launches grand jury probe into UAW President Shawn Fain

The United Auto Workers is facing a new federal investigation and intense internal conflict as the Department of Justice has opened a grand jury probe into allegations that union President Shawn Fain abused his authority to seek benefits for his fiancée and retaliated against a senior official. The investigation, confirmed through internal union documents, was disclosed to union leadership in June and became public this week, casting a shadow over the union as it prepares for a leadership election later this year.

The allegations center on claims that Fain pressured UAW Vice President Rich Boyer to approve a financial bonus for his fiancée and a workers' compensation claim for her sister. According to a report last month from the union's court-appointed federal monitor, when Boyer refused, Fain retaliated by stripping him of his duties as chief negotiator with automaker Stellantis. The monitor, attorney Neil Barofsky, stated his office had substantiated claims of improper conduct and retaliation but deferred further disciplinary action.

In a June 18 email to Fain, Boyer, and union lawyers, the monitor's lead counsel wrote that details of the findings were being withheld "out of...