An Oakland labor official working to organize the medical marijuana industry was indicted by a federal grand jury today in connection with allegations that he used his position for personal gain according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Daniel Rush, a former union organizer with the United Food and Commercial Workers union, was indicted on charges including taking illegal payments as a union employee, honest services fraud, attempted extortion and money laundering, federal prosecutors said.
Rush, 54, allegedly received payments or other things of value such as shares in a medical dispensary from people within the medical marijuana industry and from attorneys between 2010 and August 2014. In return he provided union support for dispensaries, advice on how to thwart union organizing efforts and client referrals.
Medical dispensary operator Carl Andersen provided payments to Rush in 2010 and shares in the dispensary operation worth at least $51,000 in return for UFCW support for his efforts to obtain an Oakland dispensary permit, prosecutors allege.
