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The Jackie Presser indictment scandal was a legal and political scandal which began on June 1, 1984. The scandal erupted after attorneys with the United States Department of Justice initiated a prosecution of Teamsters President Jackie Presser on various charges, including fraud and labor racketeering, only to cease prosecution once it was revealed that Presser had been a criminal informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since the early 1970s. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials came under intense political pressure to resume prosecution, while Presser's attorneys claimed that Presser had permission from DOJ to engage in the alleged crimes in order to mislead organized crime figures. It was later revealed that FBI and DOJ officials may not have kept investigators in other federal agencies and Congress fully informed of Presser's role, and that FBI agents may have overstepped their authority in giving Presser permission to commit crimes. The scandal largely ended after Presser's death on July 9, 1988. ==Jackie Presser== (詳細はWilliam Presser, was a vice president of the international union and a known associate of Mafia figures in Cleveland, Ohio. Presser quickly rose within the Teamster hierarchy, becoming president of Local 507, a regional elected official, and a pension trustee. In 1972, Presser, his father, and Teamster president Frank Fitzsimmons became criminal informers for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), offering the IRS incriminating evidence about rivals in the Teamsters union. The two Pressers also offered evidence against Fitzsimmons in an attempt to get the government to drop prosecution of William Presser on various criminal charges.〔Lardner, "Teamsters' Presser Led Two Lives As He Rose to the Top of the Union," ''Washington Post,'' April 26, 1986; "Document Says Presser Helped FBI Since '70s," ''United Press International,'' November 26, 1987; Jackson and Ostrow, "Presser Tipped FBI on 69 Persons, Records Show," ''Los Angeles Times,'' December 3, 1987.〕 The three eventually were turned over to the FBI, which began using them as informants as well. Presser began receiving $2,500 a month (roughly $12,500 in 2007 dollars) from the FBI for providing information. Presser was considered a "top-echelon informant," marking him as one of the Bureau's most prized sources.〔Jackson and Ostrow, "Presser Faces Prospect of New Federal Charges," ''Los Angeles Times,'' April 24, 1986.〕 Shortly thereafter, Presser allegedly received permission from two FBI agents to pad the Local 507 payroll with fake employees. The individuals hired as "ghost employees" were not required to do any work but received substantial paychecks. The paychecks were, it was later claimed, a way of funneling payments to other Teamsters officials and members of the Cleveland mob.〔 According to court records, in 1974 Jackie Presser became deeply involved in Mafia affairs. He allegedly told the leaders of the Chicago Mafia that he was willing to do them favors in exchange for money and assistance with his own goals and ambitions. Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno, a former hitman in the Cleveland mob and later acting head of the Los Angeles Mafia, later testified that Chicago crime boss Joseph Aiuppa told him in 1974 that "if you need anything from Jackie Presser, he said he'll do it for you." Fratianno also testified that he colluded with Presser to set up a union dental program whose profits were skimmed into Presser's and the Mafia's bank accounts. Organizationally, however, Presser was under the control of the Cleveland crime family.〔Parry, "Reagan Unaware Appointee Had Reputed Crime Links," ''Associated Press,'' December 16, 1980.〕〔Koziol, "Witness Tells of Presser Offer to Mob," ''Chicago Tribune,'' December 20, 1985; Turner, "Documents Show Strong Ties Between Organized Crime and 2 Top Teamsters," ''New York Times,'' September 29, 1980.〕 In 1976, Jackie Presser was elected an international vice president of the Teamsters. William Presser had resigned his vice presidency after being convicted of extortion and obstruction of justice. Allegedly, William Presser met with Roy Lee Williams, then president of the Central Conference of Teamsters, a regional council which controlled union locals in 14 Midwestern states (including Ohio). Williams, who was working with the Kansas City crime family, agreed to help Presser convince Teamster President Fitzsimmons to make Jackie a vice president. Jackie Presser's election was unanimous.〔Barron, "Jackie Presser Is Dead at 61," ''New York Times,'' July 10, 1988.〕〔"Man in the News: A Blend Reflected in Light and Shadows: Jackie Presser," ''New York Times,'' April 22, 1983.〕〔Serrin, "Teamster Presidency Race Narrows," ''New York Times,'' April 20, 1983.〕〔Frantz, "Williams Points Finger at Presser," ''Chicago Tribune,'' November 3, 1985.〕〔Dembart, "Teamster Aide Quits Vice President Post," ''New York Times,'' October 9, 1976.〕 Presser was named to Ronald Reagan's presidential transition team in 1980. When his appointment was made public, it created a political scandal and led to calls for him to resign. Reagan aides denied any knowledge of Presser's alleged ties to organized crime. After two weeks, the scandal died out when the transition team completed its work and disbanded.〔〔Pound, "Union Dissidents and 2 in Congress Assail Teamster in Reagan Group," ''New York Times,'' December 17, 1980.〕 In 1981, the United States Department of Labor began investigating Presser after receiving allegations he had padded the Local 507 payroll with "ghost employees." A secret affidavit outlining the government's actions and preliminary findings was filed with a federal court in 1982, but never acted on.〔Kropko, "Labor Department Began Investigation of Teamsters Chief In 1981," Associated Press, May 16, 1986.〕 On April 15, 1981, Teamster President Frank Fitzsimmons announced he was stepping down due to worsening health. Roy Lee Williams succeeded him in office.〔Shabecoff, "Fitzsimmons, Ailing, May Quit Union Job," ''New York Times,'' April 16, 1981; "Three-Way Race Surfaces for Teamsters President," ''Associated Press,'' May 1, 1981; Silberg, "Fitzsimmons May Step Down," ''United Press International,'' May 8, 1981.〕 Although turncoat mob leaders and others had long accused Jackie Presser of being a government informant, the first official confirmation came on August 22, 1981. In its August 31 issue, ''Time'' magazine reported that Presser and other Teamsters had served as government informants since the early 1970s to avoid possible prosecution. Presser confirmed that he, his father and Fitzsimmons had met with federal agents, but declared that there had been only one meeting in 1972.〔"All the President's Teamsters," Time, August 31, 1981; "Teamsters Officials Served As Informants in 1970s," United Press International, August 23, 1981; "Top Teamsters Informed on 'Enemy' Union Members, Time Says," Associated Press, August 23, 1981.〕 Days later, at least one newspaper retracted the story. Mafia figures had long doubted claims that Presser was an informant, and the retraction helped renew mob confidence in Presser. The mob's confidence in Presser was reaffirmed a year later when the Justice Department publicly ended its investigation into an alleged kickback scheme.〔Friendly, "Reporters Question Story at Cleveland Plain Dealer," ''New York Times,'' October 17, 1982; Neff, ''Mobbed Up: Jackie Presser's High-Wire Life in the Teamsters, the Mafia, and the F.B.I.,'' 1989; "Justice Department Ends Investigation of Teamsters Official," ''Associated Press,'' October 10, 1982.〕 On April 14, 1983, Roy Williams announced he would resign as Teamsters president after being convicted for conspiring to bribe Senator Howard Cannon.〔Heinrich, "Convicted Teamsters Chief to Resign April 20," ''Associated Press,'' April 15, 1983; Franklin, "Teamster Leader Quits to Avoid Jail," ''New York Times,'' April 16, 1983.〕 Presser was elected president by the Teamsters on April 21, 1983, to serve the remainder of Williams' term of office. Williams and others later alleged that Mafia families in Chicago, Cleveland and various cities on the East Coast had conspired to secure Presser's election.〔Serrin, "Jackie Presser's Secret Lives Detailed in Government Files," ''New York Times,' March 27, 1989.〕〔Ostrow and Jackson, "Informant Alleges Mafia Ties to Presser," ''Los Angeles Times,'' September 24, 1985; Frantz and Koziol, "Jailed Underboss Says Mob Haggled Over Teamsters Boss," ''Chicago Tribune,'' September 29, 1985; Lardner, "Mob Backed Presser, Trial Told," ''Washington Post,'' November 27, 1985; Doyle, "Mob Boss Accused of Rigging Presser's Election as Teamsters Head," ''Associated Press,'' November 24, 1986; Lubasch, "Mob Figures Chose Teamsters' Chief, Government Says," ''New York Times,'' November 25, 1986; Drogin, "Mafia Leader Indicted Over Presser Link," ''Los Angeles Times,'' November 25, 1986.〕 In April 1985, the President's Commission on Organized Crime held hearings in Chicago on organized crime involvement in labor unions. During the hearings, Commission members charged that the Mafia controlled the Teamsters, the Laborers, HERE and the International Longshoremen's Association.〔D'Alessio, "Chicago Hearings to Focus on Labor Racketeering," ''Associated Press,'' April 21, 1985; Jackson, "Teamsters Lead Organized Crime Commission's List," ''Los Angeles Times,'' April 23, 1985.〕 Former mobsters described numerous syndicate cash bribes and other payments to Presser.〔〔Klose, "Former 'Goon' Describes Labor Leasing Scheme," ''Washington Post,'' April 24, 1985; Frantz, "Ex-Teamster Boss Aids Presser Probe," ''Chicago Tribune,'' October 2, 1985; Jackson and Ostrow, "Williams Says Presser Offered to Fix Case for $10,000," ''Los Angeles Times,'' November 5, 1985.〕 Other witnesses testified that Presser had used violence and other illegal methods to intimidate political opponents within the Teamsters.〔Shipp, "Teamsters' Leader Is Silent At Inquiry by Crime Panel," ''New York Times,'' April 24, 1985.〕〔Ostrow and Jackson, "Presser Abetted Violence by Teamsters, Panel Says," ''Los Angeles Times,'' November 27, 1985.〕 During his own testimony, Presser invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 15 times.〔〔Jackson, "Teamsters Chief Invokes Fifth to Queries on Crime Ties," ''Los Angeles Times,'' April 24, 1985; Koziol and O'Brien, "Teamsters Boss Testifies in a Symphony of the 5th," ''Chicago Tribune,'' April 24, 1985.〕 In March 1986, the Commission released a preliminary report on organized crime influence in the Teamsters. The Commission found corruption "so pervasive" that it recommended that the federal government seek court supervision of the union and take it over. Department of Justice lawyers immediately began preparing a civil lawsuit to place the Teamsters under federal control.〔Noble, "Crime Panel Urges Broad U.S. Attack on the Teamsters," ''New York Times,'' March 7, 1986; Shenon, "Corrupt Unions to Be the Target of Justice Dept.," ''New York Times,'' November 22, 1986; Ostrow and Jackson, "U.S. Plans Suit to Get Control of Teamsters," ''Los Angeles Times,'' June 10, 1987; Yancey, "Teamsters Leaders, Dissidents Alike Decry Possible Government Takeover Move," ''Associated Press,'' June 11, 1987; Elsasser and Warren, "Teamsters Face Survival Test as U.S. Prepares Suit," ''Chicago Tribune,'' June 11, 1987; Bradley, "Justice Department Tries to Rid Unions of Mafia Influences," ''Christian Science Monitor,'' June 12, 1987; Weinstein, "Unionists, Lawyers and Law Professors Tell Discomfort," ''Los Angeles Times,'' June 14, 1987; Swoboda, "U.S. Sues to Take Over Teamsters," ''Washington Post,'' June 29, 1988; Shenon, "U.S. Sues to Oust Teamster Chiefs," ''New York Times,'' June 29, 1988; Ostrow and Quigley, "18 Teamsters Sued as Tools of the Mafia," ''Los Angeles Times,'' June 29, 1988.〕 Presser vigorously opposed the Justice Department's efforts, and planned a five-year legal, public relations, legislative and political counter-attack to keep the Teamsters free from court supervision.〔Weinstein and Ostrow, "Teamsters Rally Forces to Battle U.S. Takeover," ''Los Angeles Times,'' September 10, 1987; Noble, "Unions Support Teamsters In Fight With Justice Dept.," ''New York Times,'' September 14, 1987; Jackson, "Teamsters Press Congress to Avert U.S. Seizure of Union," ''Los Angeles Times,'' September 16, 1987.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Jackie Presser indictment scandal」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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