One of Joe Biden’s key political allies, fire fighters union president Harold Schaitberger, is being accused of corruption after an internal review, and the Democrat presidential front runner got late night host Jimmy Kimmel to publicly give to the union organization on Thursday.
The Washington Free Beacon reported:
Harold Schaitberger, the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), which represents more than 300,000 firefighters, is facing accusations of corruption and gross financial malpractice from his closest deputies. Edward Kelly, the general secretary-treasurer and the number two of the union, detailed the findings of his team’s audit in a March 20 internal memorandum. According to the 105-page document, the audit has thus far found that Schaitberger and Thomas Miller—Kelly’s predecessor as the general secretary-treasurer—illegally earned millions of dollars from the union pension fund over the last two decades.
“The record keeping performed prior to my assuming office in September 2016 was so poor, one could argue it was designed that way,” Kelly wrote in the memorandum obtained by the outlet.
Kelly’s audit also found that the union misreported millions of dollars in union funds while diverting millions of dollars for a purpose unrelated to their original designation. As a result of this rampant financial malpractice, roughly $6 million in union funds remain unaccounted for, according to the memorandum.
During a Thursday appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the host told Biden each night of the quarantine, he is donating to a different charity chosen by his guest.
“It’s the firefighters,” Biden said, “It’s called foundation dot IAFF — International Association of Fire Fighters — dot org.”
“They need help,” he added.
Kimmel didn’t disclose how much he would be donating, but said, “That’s a good one.”
According to the foundation website, Schaitberger is chairman of the board of directors, and Kelly is the vice chairman.
The Free Beacon reported Schaitberger receives an annual salary of $388,000. Kelly’s internal review found he also collects $5,105 a month from the union’s pension system.
A review of the union foundation’s 990 tax return by Breitbart News found the union foundation reported Schaitberger’s total compensation in 2018 as $404,276.
Kelly’s total compensation was $587,704 that same year, according to the 990 document.
Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.
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