A federal judge Wednesday appointed a government watchdog to oversee the corruption-plagued United Auto Workers on Wednesday, one day after former President Dennis Williams was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
The move by U.S. District Judge David Lawson to appoint New York attorney Neil Barofsky is part of a broader deal reached between federal prosecutors and the UAW to settle a long-running criminal investigation targeting the union. The appointment sets in motion a process that could give UAW members the first chance in the union’s history to directly elect new leaders.