Infighting at the United Automobile Workers came to light Sunday after Shawn Fain, the union's president, responded angrily to accusations that he had abused his position to seek special favors for his fiancée and her sister.
The accusations were made by Rich Boyer, the vice president running for union president. Boyer also said Fain had made false accusations against him, including a “dereliction of duty,” after he refused to approve favors, according to a report from a court-appointed supervisor.
The Justice Department opened a grand jury investigation into whether Fain had abused his position, according to an email sent to union officials and lawyers whose contents were shared with The New York Times. Bloomberg previously reported on the investigation.
Fain did not explicitly confirm the existence of a grand jury investigation, but said he was the victim of “false accusations” intended to influence the upcoming election.
“This is what happens when you go against American companies and their allies, and I'm not going to be bullied or harassed for not serving our members,” Fain said.
A UAW spokesman said the union was not the focus of a grand jury investigation. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday.
Fain and Boyer lead rival lists of candidates in elections for top positions in the UAW, one of the most powerful unions in the United States, with about 400,000 active members. Voting by mail is scheduled to begin late next month.
In 2024, Fain sought to limit Boyer's role in overseeing relations with Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Chrysler vehicles, accusing him of undermining the union's position in negotiations with the company, according to a report last month by Neil M. Barofsky, a court-appointed monitor. Barofsky is overseeing the union's compliance with an agreement it reached with federal authorities in 2021 after an earlier corruption scandal.
Fain argued in 2024 that Boyer had made concessions in negotiations with Stellantis without authorization and did not do enough to enforce the automaker's promise to reopen a factory in Belvidere, Illinois.
According to Mr. Barofsky's report, Mr. Fain's effort to reduce Mr. Boyer's authority was retaliation for Mr. Boyer's refusal to intervene in a workers' compensation claim filed by the sister of Mr. Fain's fiancee and Mr. Boyer's refusal to approve a bonus that would have benefited the fiancée.
“Fain's actions were inappropriate and fit into what has become a recurring pattern of retaliation,” the report says.
Barofsky received a subpoena from the Justice Department, according to the email sent to union officials and attorneys involved in the case. A spokeswoman for Barofsky declined to comment.
The dispute casts a shadow over the union as it tries to expand its influence to auto factories in southern states operated by automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Hyundai that have been difficult to organize.
The union is also reeling from a scandal that led to prison sentences for numerous high-ranking union officials, including two former presidents, on charges including bribery and embezzlement.
Fain has scored some notable victories since taking office in 2023. That year, the UAW won the most generous pay increases in years from Ford Motor, General Motors and Stellantis.
The Justice Department under President Trump has been aggressively ramping up efforts to use federal law enforcement powers to scrutinize prominent left-wing public figures and organizations, including Governor Gavin Newsom of California; the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group; and ActBlue, a major Democratic fundraising group.
Fain has called Trump a “scab,” although he has also applauded the president's tariffs on imported cars and auto parts.
