There’s been an interesting little development in the race to succeed longtime state Rep. Ron Raymond in the 162nd District.
And it doesn’t specifically involve either Republican Nick Miccarelli, or Democrat John DeFrancisco.
Instead it is still another twist in who is supporting whom in this hotly contested race, and labor’s role in endorsing candidates.
You might remember a few weeks back Miccarelli kicked off his campaign by announcing he was being backed by United Aerospace Workers Local 1069. That was significant for a couple of reasons. Local 1069 is a big union at Boeing’s Ridley plant, representing 1,600 workers.
Even more significantly, DeFrancisco was the former union president. The move by the union and its new boss, Tony Forte Jr., seemed like an in-your-face snub to the union’s old leader.
DeFrancisco answered back by gaining the support of the Delco and Philadelphia Council AFL-CIOs. He also won the backing of Anthony Forte Sr. That would be Jr.’s father.
Today Jr. is back in the news. That’s because the new union leader also was the former executive vice president of the Boeing Helicopters Credit Union.
Yesterday the feds indicted him and several others in what they described as a kickback scheme tied to the credit union in which people who were not qualified for loans managed to be approved, so long as they returned the favor with $1,000 payments.
That’s what’s being alleged. Forte Jr.’s lawyer says his client denies any wrongdoing. Seven other people, including Forte’s brother David, also face charges, according to the federal indictment. The feds say the group shared in $105,413 in illegal proceeds from the scam.
Yesterday DeFrancisco was gracious in talking about the man who succeeded him as union leader, and who also is backing his opponent in the 162nd race.
It will be interesting to see how Miccarelli reacts, and how all this saga of politics and union intrigue plays out.
And it doesn’t specifically involve either Republican Nick Miccarelli, or Democrat John DeFrancisco.
Instead it is still another twist in who is supporting whom in this hotly contested race, and labor’s role in endorsing candidates.
You might remember a few weeks back Miccarelli kicked off his campaign by announcing he was being backed by United Aerospace Workers Local 1069. That was significant for a couple of reasons. Local 1069 is a big union at Boeing’s Ridley plant, representing 1,600 workers.
Even more significantly, DeFrancisco was the former union president. The move by the union and its new boss, Tony Forte Jr., seemed like an in-your-face snub to the union’s old leader.
DeFrancisco answered back by gaining the support of the Delco and Philadelphia Council AFL-CIOs. He also won the backing of Anthony Forte Sr. That would be Jr.’s father.
Today Jr. is back in the news. That’s because the new union leader also was the former executive vice president of the Boeing Helicopters Credit Union.
Yesterday the feds indicted him and several others in what they described as a kickback scheme tied to the credit union in which people who were not qualified for loans managed to be approved, so long as they returned the favor with $1,000 payments.
That’s what’s being alleged. Forte Jr.’s lawyer says his client denies any wrongdoing. Seven other people, including Forte’s brother David, also face charges, according to the federal indictment. The feds say the group shared in $105,413 in illegal proceeds from the scam.
Yesterday DeFrancisco was gracious in talking about the man who succeeded him as union leader, and who also is backing his opponent in the 162nd race.
It will be interesting to see how Miccarelli reacts, and how all this saga of politics and union intrigue plays out.
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