WASHINGTON -- A federal judge on Friday affirmed James P. Hoffa's election to head the Teamsters union despite a continuing probe of other union candidates allied with Hoffa.
U.S. District Judge David N. Edelstein in New York affirmed a federal overseer's decision in January that certification of the election results should not be delayed because of charges pending against some members of the Hoffa slate.Hoffa, son of legendary Teamsters leader James R. Hoffa, defeated Tom Leedham in the December contest after a campaign finance scandal overturned incumbent president Ron Carey's 1996 re-election and barred Carey from trying to reclaim the office.
"I . . . look forward to the opportunity, at long last, to lead the Teamsters union back to greatness," Hoffa said in a statement Friday night. "A reunited, financially sound, corruption-free Teamsters will now take its place in the family of labor."