8. The 1998 Rerun Election and the Emerging Dominance of James P. Hoffa

Abstract

This chapter focuses on James P. Hoffa's victory in the 1998 rerun election as general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). It first considers the argument between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the IBT over the issue of who should finance the 1998 rerun election before looking at the candidates and their campaigns. In particular, it examines Hoffa's election promise that he will persuade the DOJ and the district court judge that the US v. IBT consent decree was no longer necessary. The chapter then discusses the election results, which saw Hoffa emerge victorious, and his creation of an internal IBT anticorruption unit called Project RISE (respect, integrity, strength, and ethics). It also explores Project RISE's investigation of Cosa Nostra's influence over IBT locals and joint councils and concludes with an assessment of the independent review board's investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of individual disciplinary cases and systemic corruption at the IBT during its second five-year term (July 1996–July 2001).