A watchdog organization has accused the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) of laundering $1.5 million to support Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) 2022 campaign. The Freedom Foundation filed complaints with federal and state agencies, alleging that the PSEA funneled money through the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) to back Shapiro.
Maxford Nelsen of the Freedom Foundation stated, “PSEA’s scheme to secretly launder… appears to have violated both an array of Pennsylvania laws and the Internal Revenue Code.” The group claims that PSEA transferred funds to the Fund For Student Success (FSS), which then sent the same amount to the DGA, resulting in a $5.6 million contribution to Shapiro’s campaign.
The foundation alleges that PSEA violated the Pennsylvania Election Code and the Public Employee Relations Act by using union dues for political contributions. Additionally, they accuse the FSS of filing fraudulent tax returns and the DGA of failing to disclose the funding sources.
Nelsen commented, “Pennsylvania teachers deserve to know that their union’s assurances… are worth no more than a politician’s campaign promises.” The foundation has called for investigations by various agencies to ensure transparency and accountability.
Shapiro’s office and the PSEA have not yet responded to the allegations. The issue arises as Shapiro is being considered a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, adding political implications to the accusations.
