BLAINE, Minn. – A national Teamsters review board has decided two former leaders of Local 120, based in Blaine, should be banned from union leadership for life and should pay tens of thousands of dollars in fines.
Brad Slawson Sr. and Brad Slawson Jr. have been accused of embezzling money from union funds. According to the Teamsters investigation the Slawsons received nearly $70,000 in improper stipends and embezzled a $90,000 finding fee that was given to Todd Chester a family friend of the Slawsons. In addition the board recommended fines of $235,000 against Chester for alleged embezzlement that occurred when he was managing a Teamster bar in Fargo, North Dakota.
The fines and sanctions where adopted recently by Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa. However, the fines carry no weight as the Teamsters can not enforce the penalties unless the Slawsons want to get back into the union. The matter will also soon appear before a U.S. District Court judge. A lawyer for the Slawsons fully expects the pair to be vindicated at that time.
