This just in. Former SEIU leader Alejandro Stephens was sentenced to prison today for defrauding a union-related organization in order to funnel money into his SEIU re-election campaign. Here's some background on Stephens and his role in various SEIU corruption scandals.Stephens was a member of SEIU's International Executive Board and was the president of SEIU Local 660 in Los Angeles. In 2007, when SEIU merged Local 660 into a new mega-local called SEIU Local 721, Stephens' girlfriend Annelle Grajeda became the president of the local and Stephens got a $180,000 golden handshake from SEIU's DC officials.
In 2008, Andy Stern nominated Grajeda and Dave Regan to become SEIU International Executive Vice Presidents, one of the highest national positions inside SEIU. It's the same position that Mary Kay Henry held until she got boosted to the presidency. In 2009, Grajeda was forced to resign her position as an SEIU EVP after the LA Times uncovered a second corruption scandal in which Grajeda allegedly helped funnel tens of thousands of dollars to her boyfriend Stephens.
SEIU officials didn't fire Grajeda (after all, she was only charged with ripping off SEIU's own members) but instead gave her a top job in SEIU's national office with the SEIU Secretary-Treasurer (and she is maybe retired?)
Grajeda got the same kind of deal as another SEIU insider and IEB member, Rickman Jackson, who stole more than $30,000 from SEIU members while serving as the appointed president of an SEIU local in Michigan. Rickman had been appointed to the presidency of the local by SEIU's DC officials.
The US Department of Justice's indictment against Stephens names Grajeda as a "co-schemer" in the criminal conspiracy for which Stephens will now do jail time. Apparently, she may be next one on the DOJ's list...and why does Tasty think that? Well, Alejandro was supposed to be sentenced a number of times earlier this year--but each time the hearing got postponed.
Why? Too many Lindsay Lohan cases for the courts?
Nope! A little birdie tells Tasty that Stephens is naming names to the FBI. In fact, FBI agents have been visiting SEIU officials at home...
