IBEW Union Bigwig James Burke Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Union Funds
Union bosses simply cannot be trusted with the hard-earned money of workers. James Burke, Financial Secretary of IBEW Local 549, has pleaded guilty to embezzling over $40k from union funds.
From the Department of Labor:
On February 17, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, James Burke, former Financial Secretary of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 549 (located in Huntington, W.Va.), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $40,011, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.