FBI Raids Home of SEIU Leader In International Terrorism Sweep

Earlier this week, the FBI raided the homes of anti-war leftists.

Now, they are raiding the homes of Obama's friends are the SEIU.

Interesting, huh?

From Gateway:

One might think it would be big news that a Chief Steward for a Local chapter of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is being investigated by the FBI for possible connection to overseas terror networks. Apparently, though, several Chicago news outlets didn’t see a reason to add this little fact to their stories. And even if it wasn’t big news that the FBI is investigating a union member, one would think that his profession would at least make an appearance somewhere in properly formulated coverage of the story… right?

Over the weekend the FBI announced that it was investigating Joseph Iosbaker for possible connections to overseas terror groups. Iosbaker and his wife Stephanie Weiner, both anti-war activists, are suspected of activities “concerning the material support of terrorism.”

The Chicago news has been all over the demonstrations that left-wing groups have mounted in Chicago to protest the FBI’s investigation of the anti-war activists. These stories are filled with all sorts of facts, dates and names. But in a significant handful of stories one little fact seems to have escaped the notice of these hardnosed journalists. Iosbaker is an SEIU union member. And not just a rank and file member but an official.

According to the SEIU Local 73 website, Iosbaker is listed as the Local 73 Chief Steward. Iosbaker was also quite active earlier in the year protesting the closing of the Republic Windows & Doors factory that made the national news. Iosbaker was then listed as an executive board member of the SEIU.

It is interesting to note that this fact escaped most of Chicago’s TV coverage.Michelle Gallardo of ABC 7 TV seems to have forgotten to mention the union connection, CBS channel 2 also missed this fact, WGN TV channel 9 also forgot to mention the SEIU, and Channel 5 NBC also missed it, all accidentally I’m sure.

But it isn’t just TV that missed this fact. The Associated Press also seems to be blind to the fact that Iosbaker is a union operative.

My friends at the Chicago Daily Observer have helpfully offered the Old Media a spelling lesson, “SEIU, it’s spelled S-E-I-U,” they scolded.

The fact seems to be that Iosbaker is not just a little fish in the big union pond. He is at least a middle manager and local union muckity-muck. So why did so many news outlets somehow forget to mention this fact? Isn’t his status as a union operative with some station and position significant?

UPDATE - FBI investigates prominent labor leader Andy Stern

People interviewed by federal agents report the FBI and the Labor Department are investigating prominent labor leader Andy Stern as part of a corruption probe involving the Service Employees International Union.

Two organized labor officials met with federal agents this summer to answer questions about Stern's role in approving money to pay the salary of an SEIU leader in California who performed no work and a book contract that Stern landed in 2006.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation. The FBI and the Labor Department's office of inspector general declined to comment for the record.

Stern abruptly resigned as president of the 2.2-million member SEIU in April.