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Atlanta Daily World
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
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Top Teamsters officials, including Dave Beck and Einar Mohn, defied a Senate Labor Racketeering probe by refusing to appear or answer questions on union finances. Senators McClellan, McCarthy, and Mundt condemned the actions as contempt of Congress. New York locals' officials also invoked rights amid kickback allegations.
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WASHINGTON-(INS)-Top officials of the Teamsters International AFL-CIO were accused today of "thumbing their noses" at Congress when they defied a Senate Labor Racketeering probe by throwing a wall of silence about their financial activities.
Dave Beck, general president of the powerful union, failed to appear before the Senate Permanent Investigations Subcommittee although Chairman John L. McClellan (D) Ark., said Beck had promised to testify today.
Einar Mohn, vice president of the International and assistant to Beck, put in an appearance, but flatly declined to answer all questions. He challenged the Subcommittee's authority to investigate labor, and said he could not, therefore, discuss any of the union's activity.
McClellan ruled "without equivocation" and with full Subcommittee backing that Mohn had no right to defy jurisdiction of the Subcommittee.
McClellan also said he would have subpoenaed Beck had he known the Teamsters boss would not appear voluntarily.
Beck sent the chairman a telegram from Seattle saying he could not appear "in compliance with doctor's instructions."
Mohn's stand also brought a fiery charge from Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy (R) Wis., that such action was tantamount to covering up for "goons" who are stealing from the "laboring man."
Sen. Karl Mundt (R) S. D., charged the Teamsters with "thumbing their noses" at Congress and "all legal authority."
Earlier in the day, officials of New York Teamsters Local 284 and of Local 227, Allied Industrial Workers Union, refused to discuss their financial deals.
The witnesses were Harry Reiss, president of Local 227, who challenged the panel's authority, and Dominic Santa Maria, trustee of 227 and vice president of 284, who invoked the Fifth Amendment.
They have been linked by previous witnesses and subcommittee members to a kickback operation in which they allegedly misused union funds for their own profit.
McCarthy charged that the FBI had determined that Santa Maria had forged the names of an alleged "sham" organizer to checks.
Santa Maria refused to state whe-
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Teamsters leaders Dave Beck and Einar Mohn defied Senate Permanent Investigations Subcommittee by not appearing or refusing to answer questions on union finances during labor racketeering probe. Senators accused them of contempt. New York local officials Harry Reiss and Dominic Santa Maria also refused testimony amid kickback and forgery allegations.