105-page document details Schaitberger Corruption
IAFF secretary-treasurer Edward Kelly has begun to publicly expose Harold Schaitberger’s long history of corruption at the IAFF.
His current foray is a 105-page memorandum containing some of Harold Schaitberger’s most flagrant abuses; along the way he amply confirms that Schaitberger’s IAFF pension, which he has been receiving since 2000, is both improper and illegal.
The memorandum, sent to district vice presidents and others, is a detailed answer to apparent accusations made by Schaitberger against Kelly and his staff.
It’s clear that the motive in accusing Kelly is to shut down the attempt by Kelly to expose Schaitberger’s rampant self-dealing and greedy excuse for leadership.
Kelly has hired outside expert counsel to plumb the abyss of Schaitberger’s dark dealings and Schaitberger is striking back by alleging that Kelly lacks such authority.
It’s a weak argument.
Caught with the goods, Schaitberger has fallen back on legal and bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo to engage in yet another cover-up.
Schaitberger should be saying, “I have nothing to hide, look all you want.” The problem is that Schaitberger has plenty to hide.
Schaitberger’s cover-up attempt likely won’t work this time because Kelly, as a principal officer, has access to damning information and even the hand-wringing and ever complacent vice-presidents have to see the writing on the wall.
Speaking of legal mumbo-jumbo, in a “dog ate my homework” moment, Schaitberger has Doug Steele, IAFF legal counsel, asserting that key documents are not available because of a flood at the Iron Mountain storage facility
This is vintage Schaitberger: just make something up to cover your latest lie. He never thought someone would verify that his tall tale was just that.
It was reported here recently that Schaitberger has been illegally double-dipping an IAFF pension for many years; the assertion was met with indignation and disbelief by many.
Not one, nor two, but three independent legal counsel affirmed that such is the case. One summary opinion from the memo is offered here.
Schaitberger could well owe the pension plan a million dollars or more, not counting interest for his gross and hoggish behavior.
In a moment of supreme irony, Schaitberger accuses Kelly’s staff of engaging in a conflict of interest. Schaitberger’s entire presidency is one long such conflict as he has advantaged his close friends with tens-of-millions of dollars of exclusive, no-bid contracts.
The memo has its light-hearted moments as when Kelly responds to the assertion that he has called Schaitberger a “crook.”
The “shake the couch” comment is both brilliant and a perfect description of Schaitberger’s swinish and greedy approach.
With annual compensation and expense reimbursements well over $500K, Schaitberger’s out-of-bounds grab for seven days pay is like you or me stealing a penny from the change dish at the local grocery.
To call Schaitberger a crook is as obvious as saying the sun shines.
With reckless abandon he has pillaged the IAFF from stem to stern and left a rotting and listing hulk in his wake, all but ready to sink.
Along the way his many mates have included
- the hundreds of affiliate leaders he bought off with fancy dinners,
- others given “consulting” and instructor jobs,
- his close buddies who get the no-bid contracts,
- still others with no-show jobs,
- the do-nothing trustees,
- and, last but certainly not least, his fellow pirates, the district vice-presidents, who plundered the chest for their share of gold.
Time will (shortly) tell if Ed Kelly is a John Paul Jones but Schaitberger has been unequivocally called out as the pirate-in-chief.
I suppose Ed Kelly should get the last word.
Want to see the entire document? Just ask your district vice-president, they have a copy.
If they refuse to share it, they are participating in a cover-up.
New York, New Jersey: jslevin@iaff.org
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska: mwoolbright@iaff.org (314) 393–9755
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont: jcolbert@iaff.org (617) 307–8076
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia: akpantelis@iaff.org (301) 674–3448
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin: tthornberg@iaff.org
(612) 290–8015 (Cell)
Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territory, Saskatchewan, Yukon:
mcarter@iaff.org
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington: rwalsh@iaff.org
(509) 999–3090 (Cell)
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio: msanders@iaff.org
(513) 260–2381 (Cell)
Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming: rrahne@iaff.org
(303) 619–2462 (Cell) (303) 988–0177 (Home)
Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Guam: flima@iaff.org
(213) 507–6317 (Cell) (213) 485–2091 Ext 1 (Office)
Canal Zone, Oklahoma, Texas: smcghee@iaff.org (918) 855–8228 (Cell)
Caribbean Area, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina: wdix@iaff.org (954) 444–8111 (Cell)
Manitoba, Ontario: fleblanc@iaff.org (613) 328–2195 (Cell)
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee: dtodd@iaff.org
(901) 386–3129 (Office)
New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec
dburry@iaff.org (709) 744–2709 (Home) (709) 689–7574 (Cell)
All federal fire fighters of the United States and Canada: jjohnson@iaff.org
(202) 360–1318 (Cell)
