Legg, 2026 ESD 61
OFFICE OF THE ELECTION SUPERVISOR
for the
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS
IN RE: LEGG, JEFF ) Protest Decision 2026 ESD 61
)
Protestor. ) Issued: March 20, 2026
)
) OES Case No. P-067-020526
INTRODUCTION
Jeff Legg, a spokesperson and candidate for the 455 Working Teamsters Slate, filed a protest against Donald Ramsey, a Business Agent for Local 455 who works for Secretary Treasurer Dean Modecker, a candidate for the opposing slate identified as the Leaner, Meaner, Greener Slate. Ramsey himself is not a delegate or alternate delegate of the slate. Ramsey is described as the Business Agent for many of the airline working groups, in particular United Airlines. Legg alleges that Ramsy violated the prohibition against use of union equipment to disseminate campaign material and inappropriately used a ballot in violation of the Rules for the 2025-2026 International Brotherhood of Teamsters International Union Delegate and Officer Election (“Rules”).
Jim Devine of the Office of the Election Supervisor investigated this protest. The investigation included review of the emails and campaign material sent with the emails; and interviews of protestor Legg, Ramsey, and Secretary Treasurer Modecker.
BACKGROUND AND INVESTIGATION
On or about February 5, 2026, Legg was provided with an email[1] sent by Ramsey on or about February 2, 2026, to approximately 26 other individuals. The email contained campaign material giving rise to Legg’s two complaints at issue in this protest: (1) Ramsey used his union email to distribute campaign material in violation of Rules; and (2) the email contained a campaign document urging the recipients to support the Leaner Meaner Greener Slate including a simulated ballot that is misleading.
Ramsey admitted to the violation in so far as it involved the use of union equipment, that is, a computer, and his union email account. While Ramsey stated that he “was told he could use his union computer for personal use,” his use of the computer for the production of the flyer and email was clearly related to election matters. During Ramsey’s interview, he indicated that he has two monitors at his workstation -- one monitor which has the local’s email account information and the other which has his personal Gmail account. However, it appears that even to the extent Ramsey used the use of two monitors, one for his personal emails and one for his union emails, they share a single union computer and the situation was ripe for misuse. Ramsey admitted he prepared the document in question on his work computer but that it was printed out on his private printer using his own paper and ink. According to Ramsey, he then mistakenly sent the documents he prepared on his work computer to accounts of 26 other individuals via his union email. He claims he was under the impression that he sent the document through his personal email account and was unaware of the mistake until the filing of the protest. Ramsey provided a copy of the email he sent which lists the 26 individuals he sent it to. He describes the 26 individuals who received the email as his “closer work friends.” All of the emails for the 26 individuals appear to be personal email accounts. We have no evidence that any of the 26 individuals passed along the information.
Ramsey does not believe the use of the simulated ballot itself is a violation of the Rules.
According to Secretary Treasurer Modecker, he spoke to his staff after the nomination meeting about the Rules concerning campaign material and provided his staff with a written copy of the Rules. Modecker indicated that was he was “both surprised and shocked by Ramsey’s violation.” Modecker believes that Ramsey’s email sent on the union account was a violation of the Rules but does not agree that the use of the simulated ballot was a violation.
ANALYSIS
Article VII, Section 8, of the Rules provides that no publication or communication financed, sponsored, or used, directly or indirectly by a Union (including a social media site) may be used to support or attack any candidate or the candidacy of any person, except as authorized by Sections 8 and 9 of that Article.
Article VII, Section 12(b) provides that all Union officers and employees, if members, retain the right to participate in campaign activities, including the right to run for office, openly to support or oppose any candidate, to aid or campaign for any candidate, and to make personal campaign contributions. However, such campaigning must not involve the expenditure of Union funds. Subsection (c) of Section 12 provides that Union funds, facilities, equipment, stationery, personnel etc. may not be used to assist in campaigning unless the Union is reimbursed at fair market value for such assistance, and unless all candidates are provided equal access to such assistance and are notified in advance, in writing, of the availability of such assistance.
Neither Section 8 or Section 12(b) and (c) of Article VII require that the use or expenditure be intentional or deliberate. Therefore, whether intentional or accidental, if such use or expenditure of union funds or resources occurs, the use and expenditure are violations of these Sections.
Accordingly, we GRANT this protest as to the allegations that Ramsey violated the Rules by using union equipment to compose and send the email which included campaign literature.
As for the use of the form of the ballot, there is no prohibition against the use of campaign materials in the form that is similar to a ballot. An official ballot would be identified as the Official Ballot for the Election of Convention Delegates and Alternate Delegates and that would be printed in a legible manner with headings printed in bold face. Legg claims that the use of a simulated ballot violates the Rules by interfering with “the right to independently determine how to cast his/her vote” because it is somehow confusing or misleading for voters. The simulated ballot merely includes a list of all delegate and alternate delegate candidates on the Leaner, Meaner, Greener Slate and Legg has not demonstrated how it misleads or confuses voters or otherwise violates the Rules. See Rules, Article XIII, Section 1 (“it shall be the burden of the protestor to present evidence that a violation has occurred.”). Protests are consistently denied when the protestor offers no evidence to corroborate and support the allegations. See e.g, Local Union 726, 2006 ESD 91 (February 22, 2006); Peel, 2006 ESD 277 (May 28, 2006) (protest denied because allegations either “did not state violations of the Rules or had no bases in fact”). Moreover, Ramsey’s accompanying email advised the recipients that the actual ballots with instructions would be mailed out later in the month supporting the contention that recipients would not be confused that the email was an official ballot.
Accordingly, we find that Legg has failed to show that use of the simulated ballot violates the Rules and DENY the protest as to this claim.
REMEDY
When the Election Supervisor determines that the Rules have been violated, he “may take whatever remedial action is deemed appropriate.” Article XIII, Section 4. In fashioning the appropriate remedy, the Election Supervisor views the nature and seriousness of the violation as well as its potential for interfering with the election process.
While the cost of the use of the work computer to compose and send emails is relatively minor, the use of the computer to send out election material to over two dozen people is not. As noted in Article VII, Section 12 (b), all candidates are to have equal access to such assistance and should be notified in advance, in writing, of the availability of such assistance.
Therefore, we ORDER Donald Ramsey to immediately cease and desist from any further violation of the Rules including any improper use of union resources in the creation and distribution of campaign materials. We further order Ramsey to email the notice attached to this decision to all 26 recipients of the subject email and a copy of this decision within two (2) working days of the issuance of this decision. Lastly, we order Ramsey to submit an affidavit attesting to his compliance with the remedies ordered above to the Election Supervisor (including that he sent the required notice to each of the 26 recipients) within three (3) working days following the issuance of this decision.
Unless a stay is granted, remedies ordered by the Election Supervisor must be complied with immediately. See Rules, Article XIII, Section 4(w); see also Robertson, 2011 ESD 200 April 4, 2011 (citing Lopez, 96 EAM 73 (February 13, 1996)); see also O’Brien-Zuckerman, 2020 ESD 1 (June 23, 2020); Leedham Slate, 2006 ESD 340 (Aug. 22, 2006), aff’d, 06 EAM 65 (KC) (Aug. 31, 2006); Montante, P-421-LU317-PGH, P-422-LU317-PGH, P-438-LU317-PGH (Corrected) (Feb. 28, 1996).
APPELLATE RIGHTS
Any interested party not satisfied with this determination may request a hearing before the Election Appeals Master within two (2) working days of receipt of this decision. Any party requesting a hearing must comply with the requirements of Article XIII, Section 2(i). All parties are reminded that, absent extraordinary circumstances, no party may rely in any such appeal upon evidence that was not presented to the Office of the Election Supervisor. Requests for a hearing shall be made in writing, shall specify the basis for the appeal, and shall be served upon:
Election Appeals Master Barbara Jones
Election Appeals Master
IBTappealsmaster@bracewell.com
Copies of the request for hearing must be served upon the parties, as well as upon the Election Supervisor for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Service may be accomplished by email, using the “reply all” function on the email by which the party received this decision. A copy of the protest must accompany the request for hearing. A copy of the protest must accompany the request for hearing.
Timothy S. Hillman
Election Supervisor
cc: Barbara Jones, IBTappealsmaster@bracewell.com
ESD 61
DISTRIBUTION LIST (BY EMAIL UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE):
Jeff Legg
Leaner Meaner Greener Slate
dmodecker@teamsterslocal455.org
Richard Hooker
Edward M. Gleason, Jr.,
David Suetholz
Will Bloom,
Ken Paff
Hon. Timothy S. Hillman (Ret.)
Jim Devine
Paul Dever
Nadine Pelligrini
Kelly Hogan
OFFICE OF THE ELECTION SUPERVISOR
for the INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS
1750 K STREET, N.W., SUITE 200
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006
844-428-8683 TOLL FREE
FAX: 202-807-1074
electionsupervisor@ibtvote.org
Hon. Timothy S. Hillman
Election Supervisor
March 20, 2026
NOTICE PER ORDER OF THE ELECTION SUPERVISOR
The Rules for the 2025-2026 IBT International Union Delegate and Officer Election (“Rules”) provide that no publication or communication financed, sponsored, or used, directly or indirectly by a Union may be used to support or attack any candidate or the candidacy of any person and further, that campaigning must not involve the expenditure of Union Funds. Union funds, facilities, equipment, stationery, personnel, etc. may not be used to assist in campaigning unless the Union is reimbursed at fair market value for such assistance and unless all candidates are provided equal access to such assistance and are notified in advance, in writing, of the availability of such assistance.
The Election Supervisor enforces the Rules. After investigation, the Election Supervisor determined that Donald Ramsey violated the Rules, specifically Article VII, Section 8 and Section 12(b), by using Union equipment and facilities to compose and send an email that included campaign literature. As a remedy for Ramsey’s violation of the Rules, the Election Supervisor ordered him to (1) immediately cease and desist from any further violation of the Rules including any improper use of union resources in the creation and distribution of campaign materials; (2) email this notice and a copy of the decision Jeff Legg, 2026 ESD 61 (Mar. 20, 2026) to all 26 recipients of the subject email; and (3) submit an affidavit attesting to his compliance with the remedies ordered to the Election Supervisor within three (3) working days following the issuance of the decision.
The Election Supervisor issued this decision in Jeff Legg, 2026 ESD 61 (Mar. 20, 2026) which can be found at:
This is an official notice from the Election SUPERVISOR for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters that must remain posted for thirty (30) consecutive DAYS AND must not be altered or defaced in any MANNER OR covered by any other material.
[1] In the protest, Legg alleges that Ramsey “used a Union financed cell phone” in violation of the Rules. He makes these allegations based on the fact that he received the subject campaign material via text from a supporter. He stated that he assumed that the campaign material was developed and sent via Ramsey’s phone. Legg acknowledged that he does not know how or what device Ramsey used to create the campaign material or how it was initially sent out. As set forth herein, the evidence shows that the campaign material was sent out via email and there is no evidence to support the allegations that Ramsey used a cell phone in violation of the Rules.