CORRECTED — Schaitberger Said to Keep Improper Pension
Immediately after his 2000 election as IAFF president, Harold Schaitberger awarded himself an improper pension even as he continued on the IAFF payroll.
Twenty years later and just a few months ago, a “claims committee” of three vice presidents, (Thornberg, Carter and Lima) was formed to determine if he should keep it.
The claims committee will allow him to retain his pension.
Feds are watching
Absolving Schaitberger of either guilt or responsibility is unsupported by the facts.
He’s like the flour-covered chef emerging from the overheated kitchen denying he had anything to do with the fallen souffle.
Some Inconvenient History
Schaitberger began collecting a pension beginning in October 2000, shortly after being elected president, doing a fast-track double-dip.
But it was not until 2002 that the IAFF executive board approved an amendment, unlawful though it was, allowing a member of the staff pension plan to collect a pension and their salary if they had become an International officer.
That has all the signs of someone covering their tracks.
Who else but Schaitberger had a direct interest in that change and the juice to make it happen?
In 2006, the board adopted amendments eliminating early retirement penalties after age 53 and once again made them retroactive to 2002.
Why 2002?
Schaitberger would have received a fat check from that move.
(Anyone even mildly conversant with pension plan amendments knows they are rarely retroactive because of the creation of unnecessary costs.)
Schaitberger’s claim that he was ignorant of the board’s actions also falls flat; nothing happens at the IAFF without his approval; this is the guy who roams the halls telling staff members where to place copiers.
His fundamental modus operandi for two decades has been to aggressively create any opportunity possible to enrich himself and his cronies.
The pattern of the facts as well as his greed makes clear that he was responsible for fraudulently taking the pension as well as making payments retroactive, the perfect example of the hog at the trough.
Need another reason to call him out?
Three attorneys from different firms all came to the same conclusion, the pension was improper and not allowed by law.
For a claims committee to absolve Schaitberger of fraud and complicity is to engage in a willful cover-up.
In a just world they would be indicted for their actions.
If they were actually looking out for our union, they would demand return of payouts with interest and make his severance package subject to garnishment for the full amount.
