GM wants judge to reconsider dismissal of bribe claims against Fiat Chrysler
DETROIT — General Motors is asking a federal judge to reconsider his dismissal of a lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler based on new allegations that FCA bribed union officials and GM employees with millions stashed in secret foreign bank accounts.
GM alleges that bribes were paid to former United Auto Workers Presidents Dennis Williams and Ron Gettelfinger, as well as Vice President Joe Ashton. It also alleges that bribes were paid to GM employees including Al Iacobelli, a former FCA labor negotiator who was hired and later released by GM.
The allegations were made in a court motion filed Monday by GM, which wants to revive the lawsuit that was dismissed in July.
GM alleges that payments were made so the officials would saddle GM with more than $1 billion in additional labor costs.
GM’s motion contends that payments were made to accounts in places like Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy, Singapore and the Cayman Islands. The accounts were set up to avoid detection in a federal criminal probe of the union, according to the lawsuit. The accounts were discovered within the last 10 days by private investigators working on GM’s behalf, according to court records.
The union said in a statement it’s not aware of allegations about foreign accounts, and it asked GM to share the information.
“If GM actually has substantive information supporting its allegations, we ask that they provide it to us so we can take all appropriate actions,” the statement said.
Fiat Chrysler called GM’s lawsuit meritless and said the judge in the case agreed. The company will continue to defend itself “and pursue all available remedies in response to GM’s attempts to resurrect this groundless lawsuit.”