On Monday December 19, the political director of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 98 in Philadelphia, Marita Crawford, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud which, under US federal law, is a felony. Crawford faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing in April.
Crawford was a close associate of prominent IBEW official John Dougherty, also known as “Johnny Doc,” who, along with four other union officials, is facing charges related to the embezzlement of union dues. In total, Local 98 officials are suspected to have stolen over $600,000 from members.
Crawford admitted using union funds on herself, including to pay for expensive trips and birthday dinners. Crawford was also caught on tape saying, “You know the way we roll,” in reference to buying expensive concert ticket seats at Taylor Swift, Bette Midler, and Billy Joel concerts. Other purchases by her include $4,500 in gift cards, hundreds of dollars on expensive makeup, and over $1,000 in personal meals and catering.
In spite of this record of swindling from her members, her lawyer, Fortunato Perri, has attempted to suggest that Crawford is a labor hero. “She has been a champion of the labor movement for the past several years,” Perri implausibly suggested. “[S]o she hopes to continue in her professional career moving forward.”
As part of her plea agreement, Crawford will be barred from being a union official for 13 years, as per US Department of Labor rules, and must pay $12,000 in restitution directly to Local 98.
The more information that comes to light, the more it becomes clear that the IBEW is an organization saturated in corruption, in which raiding members’ dues is considered a “perk” of plum bureaucratic jobs. Crawford’s mentor, “Doc” Dougherty, also kept himself busy using the union’s money for personal use. No purchase was too mundane. He even used union funds to buy daily groceries, including cereal, toiletries, and baby products, among other various item