District Court imposes $240,000 civil penalty in FEC v. Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 9, et al.

On December 16, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered a Consent Judgment against Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 9 (Union) and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 9 Political Action Committee (PAC) (collectively, defendants) for a total joint civil penalty of $240,000, as well as declaratory and permanent injunctive relief. The court also required the defendants to refund contributions improperly deducted from Union members’ paychecks.

Consent judgment

The district court found the defendants violated the conciliation agreement entered into between the Commission and defendants in a prior enforcement matter by causing contributions to the PAC to be deducted from the pay of multiple Union members without first obtaining a signed payroll deduction authorization form. Defendants also caused contributions to the PAC to be deducted from the pay of multiple Union members who had specifically declined to participate in the payroll deduction program. Additionally, the defendants did not include the required solicitation notices on the payroll deduction authorization form.

In addition to payment of a $240,000 civil penalty, the Consent Judgment requires the defendants to refund all contributions made by Union members who declined to participate in the payroll deduction program between May 17, 2019, and the date of the Consent Judgment. They must also offer full or partial refunds to those who did not sign an authorization form for the PAC contribution(s) deducted from their paycheck during that same time period. The court also permanently enjoined the Union from deducting contributions from Union members’ paychecks without first obtaining the required authorizations and providing the required notices and the PAC from accepting such contributions.

Resources

• Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 9 et al.; FEC v. (24-1450) litigation page