A federal audit of the Chicago Teachers Union, one of the largest and most politically active public worker unions in the country, has raised concerns that it is an attempt by conservative dark-money groups aligned with the Trump administration to discredit and undermine the union's efforts.
The Department of Labor sent a letter to the union requesting detailed information about its financial records, bookkeeping practices, and internal controls. The timing of the audit has sparked suspicion among union officials and experts, who point out that it comes on the eve of a deadline for the union to turn over financial documents to a House committee targeting the union based on claims circulated by an Illinois right-wing anti-union group.
The Chicago Teachers Union has been at the forefront of the fight against the Trump administration's deportation efforts, making it a clear target for the administration's attacks. The union's president, Stacy Davis Gates, who is Black, has been a vocal critic of the administration's policies and has faced criticism from right-wing groups.
The audit was sparked by a House committee inquiry into the union's financial practices, which cited sources connected with the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank with deep ties to Republican megadonors. The institute has accused the union of mismanaging funds and increasing political spending in recent years.
However, union officials say that the audit is an attempt to intimidate and discredit the union, which has been a vocal critic of the administration's policies. "We're not surprised," said Robert E. Bloch, an attorney representing the Chicago Teachers Union. "The reality is that the union has always shared its audits with its members... They're just trying to force the publication of the audits to the general public so that they can try to find things to attack the union over."
The union has been a target for right-wing groups since Davis Gates took office in 2022, and the audit is seen as part of a coordinated attack on the labor movement and public education. "Our perspective is that the Illinois Policy Institute is essentially a state chapter of Project 2025, and their sole purpose has been to undermine Stacy Davis Gates's leadership and the thousands of Chicago educators that she represents," said a union spokesperson.
The size and power of the Chicago Teachers Union make it an especially appealing target for right-wing entities looking to damage the labor movement and public education. "If what you're trying to do is bust unions, you go after the big ones," said Jacob Remes, a labor historian at New York University.
The union has been transparent about its financial practices and says that it has been a faithful steward of teachers' dues under Davis Gates's leadership. However, the audit raises concerns about the union's accountability and transparency.
The Trump administration's targeting of unions and public education has been a consistent theme throughout his presidency, with schools and labor groups often being at the forefront of efforts to dismantle the social safety net and undermine democratic institutions. The audit of the Chicago Teachers Union is seen as part of this broader effort to weaken the labor movement and public education.
The Department of Labor sent a letter to the union requesting detailed information about its financial records, bookkeeping practices, and internal controls. The timing of the audit has sparked suspicion among union officials and experts, who point out that it comes on the eve of a deadline for the union to turn over financial documents to a House committee targeting the union based on claims circulated by an Illinois right-wing anti-union group.
The Chicago Teachers Union has been at the forefront of the fight against the Trump administration's deportation efforts, making it a clear target for the administration's attacks. The union's president, Stacy Davis Gates, who is Black, has been a vocal critic of the administration's policies and has faced criticism from right-wing groups.
The audit was sparked by a House committee inquiry into the union's financial practices, which cited sources connected with the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank with deep ties to Republican megadonors. The institute has accused the union of mismanaging funds and increasing political spending in recent years.
However, union officials say that the audit is an attempt to intimidate and discredit the union, which has been a vocal critic of the administration's policies. "We're not surprised," said Robert E. Bloch, an attorney representing the Chicago Teachers Union. "The reality is that the union has always shared its audits with its members... They're just trying to force the publication of the audits to the general public so that they can try to find things to attack the union over."
The union has been a target for right-wing groups since Davis Gates took office in 2022, and the audit is seen as part of a coordinated attack on the labor movement and public education. "Our perspective is that the Illinois Policy Institute is essentially a state chapter of Project 2025, and their sole purpose has been to undermine Stacy Davis Gates's leadership and the thousands of Chicago educators that she represents," said a union spokesperson.
The size and power of the Chicago Teachers Union make it an especially appealing target for right-wing entities looking to damage the labor movement and public education. "If what you're trying to do is bust unions, you go after the big ones," said Jacob Remes, a labor historian at New York University.
The union has been transparent about its financial practices and says that it has been a faithful steward of teachers' dues under Davis Gates's leadership. However, the audit raises concerns about the union's accountability and transparency.
The Trump administration's targeting of unions and public education has been a consistent theme throughout his presidency, with schools and labor groups often being at the forefront of efforts to dismantle the social safety net and undermine democratic institutions. The audit of the Chicago Teachers Union is seen as part of this broader effort to weaken the labor movement and public education.
It feels like they're trying to strong-arm the union into submission by threatening to expose supposed financial mismanagement. I mean, we've seen similar tactics before with the Koch brothers and their network of think tanks and front groups.
. And let's be real, the Trump administration has been trying to discredit unions and public education for years. It's just another way of undermining the social safety net and democratic institutions.
We need to be careful not to jump to conclusions or assume that all unions are corrupt, but at the same time, we can't ignore the pattern of behavior here.
any time there's an audit on the eve of a deadline, it feels like they're trying to get ahead of things and cause trouble. and with the chicago teachers union being so outspoken about the trump admin's deportation efforts, it makes sense that right-wing groups would try to target them 
. Anyone have a source on this?
. I mean, the Chicago Teachers Union has been doing some serious work to protect teachers' rights and advocate for kids' education, and this audit is just a way for right-wing groups to discredit them. It's like, if you're not on our side, we'll just try to pick apart your finances until you can't even operate 
. I'm so sad that it has to come down to this, but at least we have people like Jacob Remes speaking out against this kind of thing 
.
it's like they're trying to bully the union into silence! I mean, what's really going on here? It sounds like these conservative groups are just trying to smear the union and discredit their leader Stacy Davis Gates 
She's been a thorn in the side of the Trump admin for years, speaking out against their deportation efforts and advocating for teachers' rights 
And now they're trying to take her down with some shady audit? Give me a break! 
.
, like they're trying to discredit the union by launching a surprise audit right before they need to share their financial records with another committee... it's just too convenient 
... it's hard not to wonder if there's some deeper motive behind all this