The railroad union is accused of embezzling money for Democratic reasons, the report said

FIRST ON FOX – A major railroad union is under fire after a watchdog report says its leadership has raised money to fund Democratic causes opposed to the Trump administration, thus undermining most of its MAGA members while also spending millions on questionable expenses.

Leaders of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division (BMWED-IBT), one of the country's largest unions representing 37,000 members, are accused of using union resources to support Democratic Alliance priorities by using their money, according to a report released by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF).

“The organization's ongoing leadership is a stunning betrayal of the vast majority of its labor members who support MAGA's agenda and President Trump's leadership,” the report said.

“BMWE's one-sidedness is evidenced by its attacks on Trump's agenda and its broad support for the Democratic Alliance's goals.”

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The report described the union's leadership as “leaning to the left,” citing attacks on Trump during his first term, including allegations that he is “undoing Obama's legacy” and that his repeal efforts are “dangerous.”

Additionally, the report found that the union supports left-leaning causes such as Black Lives Matter, abortion and universal health care, while opposing Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill” and maintaining ties with Democratic Alliance organizations and prominent Democrats, including Reps. Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Ill., and Dina Titus, D-Nev

The report added that the union's leaders had shown “remarkable betrayal” and abandoned the “will” of their large MAGA membership base, underscoring the growing rift between the organized labor leadership and many “high-level” union members.

“Although the broad support of the Trump-Vance agenda by industrial union members has been widely reported, news of this almost ten-year-old restructuring has not reached the leadership of the Brotherhood of Maintenance and Way Employees Division (BMWE) whose dues-paying members repeatedly voted for President Trump,” the report said.

Apart from the union's political affiliation, the report examined BMWED-IBT's spending practices.

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A large commercial inland shipping container and rail yard is seen in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Stock)

The union allegedly sent more than $441,098 to “left-wing” organizations, including the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, more than $100,000 to the National Democratic Club over several years, and the National Teamsters Hispanic Caucus, according to the report.

The report said the National Democratic Club and the National Teamsters Hispanic Caucus are known for their stance against the administration policies of the Trump administration.

The report also examines the Teamsters' Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education (DRIVE) PAC, which joined BMWED-IBT after its political committee merged with the PAC in 2004, saying the PAC favored Democrats in political spending by donating approximately $13.76 million to Democratic Party committees compared to $629.8 million to Democratic Party committees.

Recent polls show labor unions like BMWED-IBT have a large number of workers who support Trump, including a Teamsters poll showing a 60/40 split in favor of Trump and exit polls in 2024 showing working-class voters without a college degree going 56% for Trump and 42% for Harris.

The report not only singled out the union's Democratic parties, but also what it described as a “massive waste of money,” saying nearly two-thirds of headquarters workers will earn six-figure salaries by 2024, while the average BMWED-IBT member will earn $61,692.

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The report said Cardwell earned $233,492 and Secretary-Treasurer Dale Bogart earned $206,709 that year, adding members of BMWED-IBT Local Lodge 1020, the local union, pay about $100 a month in fees “to support union leadership salaries.”

Additionally, the report alleges that BMWED-IBT spent more than $18 million from 2017 to 2024, including $7.25 million for hotels and conferences, $5.44 million for legal fees, $2.71 million for advertising and merchandise, and $2.11 million for travel.

The union allegedly spent $2.33 million on casinos and resorts alone during the same period, including a $522,281 payment to Caesars Entertainment in 2023, according to the report, which says the spending shows leadership priorities are misplaced.

“Even though the hardworking members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance and Way Employees Division Union are kicking back making an average of $60 million a year, union bosses have lived like kings and wasted millions in union money due to ongoing activism, hotel stays, and casino trips,” AAF President Tom Jones told Fox News Digital.

“The BMWE union is no longer in touch with its members and is actively selling out the very workers who support Trump and say they do.”

A Black Lives Matter flag is displayed during a demonstration in Los Angeles. (Photos by Stanton Sharpe/SOPA/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The union strongly pushed back against the report in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Since taking over the leadership of BMWED-IBT in 2022, our union has been operating over budget,” said BMWED-IBT President Tony D. Cardwell. “In fact, it was one of our top goals to be financially responsible and active stewards of members' money. We are achieving this goal.”

Cardwell said the union's work “on Capitol Hill or in any statehouse across the country” is focused on “getting the best policy and protection” for members, saying that it offers to legislators from any party that supports railroad workers, since “Party affiliation is not what determines our political arm – the support of railroad workers is the only thing that matters.”

“There are no dollars allocated to lobbying,” Cardwell said. “The only money donated to politicians comes from our Teamster PAC, which is and always has been voluntarily funded. It is important that we have a voice in politics and this is how we do it, with non-partisanship and the goal of achieving the best possible goals and laws for our members.”

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In addition to its Democratic affiliation, BMWED-IBT has partnered with Republicans on important rail safety legislation, including Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., recently introduced the Secure Tracks Act, which would require railroad companies to use both human and automated track inspections.

Cardwell said the union “got more support from Republicans on the Hill than ever before” and that its relationship with President Donald Trump was “strengthened,” adding that Vice President JD Vance also supported rail safety legislation while serving in the U.S. Senate representing Ohio.

A review of BMWED-IBT social media accounts by Fox News Digital shows the union has retweeted and applauded Trump and Vance's campaign for the Railway Safety Act, legislation the union championed after a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, three years ago, causing a major chemical spill.

Earlier this year, the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) released a similar report involving the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), one of the oldest unions in the country, complaining that the organization is run by leaders who promote and promote Democratic Alliance policies and candidates despite membership data that strongly suggests it supports the president.