Member of Laborers for Justice & Democracy-Local
I told 225 that if they are serious about
informing their members, they will request from Sherman Carmell
a copy ofthe brief he filed on behalf of the Chicago
Federation of Labor saying that the criminal mail fraud statues
can not be used against Palumbo . Inc to recover monies
it cheated the Laborers pension and welfare funds out of. That
brief did no favors for union members and protected
corrupt union officials who do not enforce collective bargaining
agreements.
Sherman said he felt like a traitor and a
Judas filing the brief but did it anyway. Some attorneys will
do anything for money.
Sherman Carmell was defense counsel for John
Serpico in the 1985 Presidential Crime Commission hearings. John
Serpico was forced out of LIUNA because he was proven to be a
member of organized crime. John Serpico, who appears on the Chicago
Crime Commission chart of the Chicago Outfit, will be indicted
soon for his role in giving a bribe to Capitol Bank
He will probably testify against Coia in
return for leniency. I will have the Capitol Bank Case up soon.
Defendant A (Serpico) gave Capitol Bank in Chicago the Union's
pension and welfare fund in return for a below market interest
rate mortgage loan. Last fall(1996) Capitol Bank pled guilty to
the federal indictment, paid an $800,000 fine, and agreed to cooperate
with authorities. Serpico and my high school classmate "Johnny
Boy" D'Arco were going to finance the proposed addition to
Amalgamated Bank (The "Teamster Bank" where John Daley
was vice president) but the deal went south and the addition was
not built.
Sherman Carmell, known affectionately in
law enforcement circles as "Scumbag", was accused of
legal malpractice in the Teamster RICO suit, Local 705 v. Ligurotis
DC NIL 95 C 0828, 2/27/96. The insurance companies paid $13.5
million.
The RICO suit pointed to a conflict of interest
scheme involving Ligurotis and Sherman Carmell, the general counsel of the pension and health funds.
Carmell, "actually facilitated and implemented Ligurotis'
looting schemes to the detriment of the funds" the suit
stated. See Mike Bologna's excellent report in the BNA Daily Labor
Report attached.
Sherman Carmell was counsel to Bruno Caruso
in his election campaign. He reneged on his promise to me to provide
copies of Coia's depositions he had in return for Coia's motion
for reconsideration of the Election officer's decision to require
release of the LIUNA Draft RICO complaint.
In Coia's motion Coia said the U.S. DOJ
considered Bruno Caruso to be a member of organized crime, an
issue Coia never raised in the election campaign. Carmell never
gave me Coia's depositions and threatened legal consequences if
I didn't return copies of the transcripts of the Chicago District
Council's Trusteeship hearings I got via e-mail from the court
reporter.
Sherman Carmell does not want the members
of the Laborers union to know anything about the District Council
despite the fact that our dues pay his fees and the salaries of
the District Council Officers., For local 225 to retain Sherman
Carmell as legal defense counsel in its trusteeship hearings does
not say much about its judgement.
If John Galioto is innocent and believes
in protecting the interests of the union and its members, he will
ask Sherman Carmell for
(1) a copy of his brief on behalf of the
Chicago Federation of Labor,
(2) a copy of all the documents involved
in Local 705 v. Ligurotis ,
(3) and copies of all documents involved
in Serpico's law suit against the International wherein Carmell
represented LIUNA locals 1,2, 5, 1006 and 225 in their attempts
to have the Jan.18,1995 emergency amendments declared unconstitutional
under the theory the threatened RICO suit did not constitute an
emergency.
The "Emergency" amendments created
the Ethics and Disciplinary Procedure, the process and mechanism
for removing the influence of organized crime from LIUNA without
meeting the higher burden of proof required under civil and criminal law. They were also passed as a
defense to the immediate injunctive relief sought in the RICO
suit, Coia's ouster etc.
Having paid Sherman Carmell's legal fees in the suit, as the client local 225 has every right to demand from Carmell a copy of everything in the file except his legal notes. I will publish everything free of charge on the internet if John Galioto gives me the documents. The proof is in the pudding. John Galioto says he is innocent. Let him demonstrate his innocence at the same time he educates his members............................."