Union shenanigans draw attention of Labor Dept

(The Patriot Post) - One reason America’s labor unions are so eager to see Democrats back in the White House is that then they won’t have to worry about being under the watchful eye of people like Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. According to the department’s Office of Labor Management Standards, court-ordered restitution of union funds increased 16 fold since 2000, when the Clinton administration offered virtually no oversight of unions. Nearly $70 million in restitution has been collected in this decade from cases of embezzlement, illegal electioneering and fraud. In 2007 there were 406 criminal cases filed in connection with illegal activities by unions, leading to 118 convictions. The AFL-CIO persuaded its Democrat friends in Congress to slash funds for the Labor Department’s union-oversight office, and if the Democrats win the White House and hold onto Congress in 2008, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if that office is closed altogether.