Former Philadelphia labor leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty and a codefendant were convicted Thursday of using more than $650,000 in union funds for personal use, marking the second conviction federal prosecutors have secured against the long-powerful figure since a sweeping 2019 indictment.
Dougherty, who led Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for nearly three decades, was convicted of conspiracy, embezzlement and dozens of other charges by a jury after a monthlong trial. Prosecutors said he and codefendant Brian Burrows, Local 98′s former president, used the money for items including home renovations, concerts, groceries and even a cookie tray for the christening of a relative’s baby.
“This was a case where all the members who paid these people’s salaries basically had their pockets picked by them, and we’re glad we can finally hold them accountable,” U.S. Attorney Frank Costell was quoted as saying by The Philadelphia Inquirer, which reported the verdict.
Because most of them do.