Federal Monitor finds paid union organizer violated election rules barring “threats, intimidation, retaliation”
The Detroit Free Press is reporting that a United Auto Workers official has been suspended from the union for two years after posting a threatening AI generated image of a candidate for UAW International President on Facebook.
The court-appointed Federal Monitor overseeing the union, Neil M. Barofsky, announced the discipline of UAW organizer Ray Jensen in an August 4 stipulation.
The Monitor’s investigation found that on July 16 Jensen posted a comment on the Facebook page of a Mack Trucks employee running for UAW International President.
From the stipulation:
“The comment consisted of an image depicting (the Mack Trucks employee) bound and gagged, bleeding from the mouth, with an unidentified armed individual aiming a rifle at him from behind.”
The Free Press reports that Jensen is a supporter of current UAW President Shawn Fain, whom Lehman is challenging in the election. It reported Lehman felt threatened in part because Jensen’s own Facebook page bore a profile picture reading “I support Shawn Fain.”
Lehman told reporters he viewed the image as a death threat. Jensen confirmed to investigators that the post was his.
Under the stipulation, which Jensen agreed not to contest, his UAW membership is suspended for two years. He must apologize to Lehman, and he is barred from campaigning for any candidate during the 2026 election cycle. He is also permanently barred from running for any elected position in the UAW.
The Federal Monitor was appointed by the court as part of a consent decree following corruption scandals that sent two former UAW presidents to federal prison.