DETROIT — Federal prosecutors have informed General Motors that it is not a target in a yearslong corruption probe into the UAW.
According to The Detroit News, GM on Thursday received a rare written notice from the U.S. Attorney’s Office clearing it, and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed it.
“Recent media reports suggested that General Motors may be a focus of a ‘newer front in the years-long criminal investigation’ being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit,” the company said in a statement. “This is simply not true. GM is not a target of the government’s ongoing investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit officially confirmed this to GM.”
The News first reported in 2017 that investigators were looking into potential bribery and kickbacks involving officials at the company’s jointly run training center with the UAW. Since then, a number of former officials have pleaded guilty to wrongdoing, including retired UAW Vice President Joe Ashton, a former GM board member.
To date, the corruption probe has resulted in charges against 14 people that have yielded 13 guilty pleas. Ex-UAW President Gary Jones is expected to plead guilty to embezzlement charges in June.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider has left open the possibility the government could place the union into receivership through racketeering charges, although UAW President Rory Gamble continues to implement reforms to avoid that outcome.