An explosive new report by our friends at the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) has unearthed a prominent union's money trail and labeled it a ‘stunning betrayal’ of MAGA members.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division railroad union is under fire after a watchdog report alleged its leadership funneled money to support Democratic causes that opposed the Trump administration, undermining many of its own MAGA members while also spending millions on questionable expenses.
The union allegedly sent more than $441,098 to “left-wing” organizations, including the Center for American Progress, a leading progressive think tank; more than $100,000 to the National Democratic Club across multiple years; and the National Teamsters Hispanic Caucus, according to the report.
Additionally, the report alleges BMWED-IBT spent more than $18 million from 2017 to 2024, including $7.25 million on hotels and conferences, $5.44 million on legal fees, $2.71 million on promotional items and merchandise and $2.11 million on travel.
The union allegedly spent $2.33 million at casinos and resorts alone during the same period, including a $522,281 payment to Caesars Entertainment in 2023, according to the report, which argues the spending shows leadership’s priorities are not in the right place.
“The leadership’s progressive alignment is a stunning betrayal of the large proportion of its working-class members who support the MAGA agenda and President Trump’s leadership,” the report said.
And it’s not just the railroad unions who play this game.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers spent $1.5 million on golf during the Trump era. Not a penny went to a Trump property.
IBEW spent nearly $100 million on politics from 2017 to 2024. The hard-dollar PAC isn't meaningfully bipartisan — it's a Democratic infrastructure fund, with 97% of the funds disbursed going to Democrats.
IBEW's president took the DNC stage to endorse the disastrous candidacies of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. The union turned its official social channels into a Harris campaign mouthpiece. And its leaders publicly called Trump's policies "bullshit" and described him as the worst President ever.
All this while the average IBEW electrician earns $83,736 and IBEW International President Kenneth Cooper earns over 5× that, and 78% of IBEW's national headquarters earns over $100,000.
And the IBEW and the railroad union are outliers. Across seven major American industrial unions, the same pattern repeats: rank-and-file members who voted for Trump, are led by highly paid executives who fund his opposition.
The largest steel union in North America funded "No Kings" protests, coached members on how to "plan for ICE raids," and called Elon Musk "racist" and "sexist."
United Steel Workers spent nearly $43 million on politics from 2017 to 2024 — funneling member dues to Pride at Work, the Economic Policy Institute, and the socialist Workers Defense League.
Among the crazy Leftwing organizations funded, over $640,000 between 2017 and 2023 — at $100,000 to $120,000 a year — went to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-aligned policy shop that consistently opposes the Trump-Vance agenda.
The Blue Green Alliance, A. Philip Randolph Institute, and the socialist Workers Defense League also benefited from USW’s largesse.
What’s more, USW funded Pride at Work to organize anti-Trump protests, while teaching its own members how to "plan for ICE raids."
To be clear, USW didn't just oppose Trump's policies — it ran workshops teaching members how to "plan for ICE raids," in sessions titled "Anti-Immigrant Policies" — including "ICE Raids are Spreading Fear" — coaching members to interfere with the enforcement of America’s immigration laws. The Union amplified the AFL-CIO's anti-administration bus tour, and falsely accused Elon Musk of running "segregated factories."
And it gets worse.
United Auto Workers, the most aggressively anti-Trump union, gave roughly $4 million directly to Democratic party organizations during the Trump era. To Republican party organizations: $0.
UAW spent nearly $95 million on politics from 2017 to 2024. Around $4 million went directly to Democratic party organizations. Republicans got nothing.
The UAW functioned as a "financial engine for Democratic power," funneling money to Senate Majority PAC, House Majority PAC, and the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee.
And, the UAW didn't just oppose Trump. The union literally called itself his "chief antagonist" — and backed it up by endorsing a slate of self-declared Democratic Socialists, all while funding the same Far-Left organizations, such as the Economic Policy Institute and Superior Blue Strategies, funded by the United Steel Workers union.
The result: The UAW endorsed socialists Zohran Mamdani (NYC Mayor), Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, Conrad Blackburn, Katie Wilson (Seattle) — alongside Katie Porter and Tram Nguyen, while the union leadership flew to a plush resort in Puerto Rico on member dues.
Union leadership endorses the left: Harris–Walz. Bernie Sanders. Sherrod Brown. Self-declared Democratic Socialists. One union president defended an alleged MS-13 gang member on CNN.
While the union bosses get rich, union presidents earning $300,000 to $600,000-plus while their members earn $50K to $80K, and many headquarters staff are majority six-figure earners, they party and vacation on the backs of their hardworking members. Two million on casinos here. Ten million on motor racing there. Million-dollar zoo trips and golf weekends — all billed to working members.
The bottom line: Same playbook. Seven different unions. Go here to read the reports.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division railroad union is under fire after a watchdog report alleged its leadership funneled money to support Democratic causes that opposed the Trump administration, undermining many of its own MAGA members while also spending millions on questionable expenses.
The union allegedly sent more than $441,098 to “left-wing” organizations, including the Center for American Progress, a leading progressive think tank; more than $100,000 to the National Democratic Club across multiple years; and the National Teamsters Hispanic Caucus, according to the report.
Additionally, the report alleges BMWED-IBT spent more than $18 million from 2017 to 2024, including $7.25 million on hotels and conferences, $5.44 million on legal fees, $2.71 million on promotional items and merchandise and $2.11 million on travel.
The union allegedly spent $2.33 million at casinos and resorts alone during the same period, including a $522,281 payment to Caesars Entertainment in 2023, according to the report, which argues the spending shows leadership’s priorities are not in the right place.
“The leadership’s progressive alignment is a stunning betrayal of the large proportion of its working-class members who support the MAGA agenda and President Trump’s leadership,” the report said.
And it’s not just the railroad unions who play this game.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers spent $1.5 million on golf during the Trump era. Not a penny went to a Trump property.
IBEW spent nearly $100 million on politics from 2017 to 2024. The hard-dollar PAC isn't meaningfully bipartisan — it's a Democratic infrastructure fund, with 97% of the funds disbursed going to Democrats.
IBEW's president took the DNC stage to endorse the disastrous candidacies of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. The union turned its official social channels into a Harris campaign mouthpiece. And its leaders publicly called Trump's policies "bullshit" and described him as the worst President ever.
All this while the average IBEW electrician earns $83,736 and IBEW International President Kenneth Cooper earns over 5× that, and 78% of IBEW's national headquarters earns over $100,000.
And the IBEW and the railroad union are outliers. Across seven major American industrial unions, the same pattern repeats: rank-and-file members who voted for Trump, are led by highly paid executives who fund his opposition.
The largest steel union in North America funded "No Kings" protests, coached members on how to "plan for ICE raids," and called Elon Musk "racist" and "sexist."
United Steel Workers spent nearly $43 million on politics from 2017 to 2024 — funneling member dues to Pride at Work, the Economic Policy Institute, and the socialist Workers Defense League.
Among the crazy Leftwing organizations funded, over $640,000 between 2017 and 2023 — at $100,000 to $120,000 a year — went to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-aligned policy shop that consistently opposes the Trump-Vance agenda.
The Blue Green Alliance, A. Philip Randolph Institute, and the socialist Workers Defense League also benefited from USW’s largesse.
What’s more, USW funded Pride at Work to organize anti-Trump protests, while teaching its own members how to "plan for ICE raids."
To be clear, USW didn't just oppose Trump's policies — it ran workshops teaching members how to "plan for ICE raids," in sessions titled "Anti-Immigrant Policies" — including "ICE Raids are Spreading Fear" — coaching members to interfere with the enforcement of America’s immigration laws. The Union amplified the AFL-CIO's anti-administration bus tour, and falsely accused Elon Musk of running "segregated factories."
And it gets worse.
United Auto Workers, the most aggressively anti-Trump union, gave roughly $4 million directly to Democratic party organizations during the Trump era. To Republican party organizations: $0.
UAW spent nearly $95 million on politics from 2017 to 2024. Around $4 million went directly to Democratic party organizations. Republicans got nothing.
The UAW functioned as a "financial engine for Democratic power," funneling money to Senate Majority PAC, House Majority PAC, and the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee.
And, the UAW didn't just oppose Trump. The union literally called itself his "chief antagonist" — and backed it up by endorsing a slate of self-declared Democratic Socialists, all while funding the same Far-Left organizations, such as the Economic Policy Institute and Superior Blue Strategies, funded by the United Steel Workers union.
The result: The UAW endorsed socialists Zohran Mamdani (NYC Mayor), Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, Conrad Blackburn, Katie Wilson (Seattle) — alongside Katie Porter and Tram Nguyen, while the union leadership flew to a plush resort in Puerto Rico on member dues.
Union leadership endorses the left: Harris–Walz. Bernie Sanders. Sherrod Brown. Self-declared Democratic Socialists. One union president defended an alleged MS-13 gang member on CNN.
While the union bosses get rich, union presidents earning $300,000 to $600,000-plus while their members earn $50K to $80K, and many headquarters staff are majority six-figure earners, they party and vacation on the backs of their hardworking members. Two million on casinos here. Ten million on motor racing there. Million-dollar zoo trips and golf weekends — all billed to working members.
The bottom line: Same playbook. Seven different unions. Go here to read the reports.
