DETROIT _ General Holiefield was a larger-than-life union negotiator with a big smile who teamed up with a sharply dressed corporate executive at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to siphon money into each other's pockets, according to a 42-page grand jury indictment unsealed last week.
Holiefield, who died in March 2015, was a polarizing figure. At about 6-foot-3, he was nearly as broad as he was tall. He could be engaging and funny. He also could be blunt _ a trait that came off as dismissive for many of the United Auto Workers union members who came to distrust him.
Al Iacobelli, as Fiat Chrysler's labor chief, was a high-ranking executive with a lot of power and influence who, like most corporate labor chiefs, worked hard to keep a low public profile.
Together, they formed a partnership that went beyond the negotiating table and are accused of leading what could scar the union for years to come _ and, in the eyes of some workers, calls into question some of the deals cut between the company and the union. The revelations also added intrigue to a vote, scheduled to conclude Friday, in which Nissan workers in Canton, Miss., were set to decide if they want to be represented by the UAW.
Last week, Holiefield's wife, Monica Morgan, along with Iacobelli and a Fiat Chrysler financial analyst, were indicted for conspiring to defraud the U.S. government and violating the National Labor Relations Act. Morgan was arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, and Iacobelli was arraigned Tuesday.
Eight additional executives and UAW leaders are mentioned but not identified in the 42-page indictment, and more charges are expected, according to people familiar with the investigation. Earlier this week, Virdell King, a former UAW associate director who's retired, was identified as a target of the probe.
While there were rumors for years about Holiefield's ethics, multiple people interviewed by the Detroit Free Press were surprised that Iacobelli conspired with the union official to take money.
"The fact that a UAW vice president and a Fiat Chrysler VP were allegedly involved in this case is partly what makes it so unusual," said Gary Klotz, a corporate labor attorney.
Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, the union that negotiated with Iacobelli for Canadian autoworker contracts, said he always viewed him as a professional labor executive.
"I've probably known Al for 15 years. ... This is right out of left field. I never would have expected it," Dias said. "I'm in shock, to say the least. ... If, in fact, the allegations are correct, then it's a huge betrayal."
Friends of Holiefield, who also was active in civil rights circles, describe him as warm and caring.
"The General Holiefield that I knew was a gentle giant. He was very much in tune with the needs and the concerns and the cares of the working people," said Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, who knew the former UAW VP for many years before his death. "He had a very kind and generous heart and was a very passionate person."
While Holiefield and Iacobelli were supposed to be adversaries, they also had to work with each other to forge a relationship based on trust in order to get deals done. It's a precarious relationship every labor negotiator must navigate.
"I think there is a danger for the UAW, or for any union, to get too friendly with company officials," said Arthur Wheaton, director of the labor and environmental programs at Cornell University. "The membership will vote the union leadership out if they are seen as in bed with management."
The relationship between Iacobelli and Holiefield not only crossed ethical boundaries, it crossed legal boundaries, according to a federal grand jury indictment unveiled last week. The two men devised ways to collectively pocket more than $2.2 million for themselves and, in Holiefield's case, to funnel much of that money to his wife, the indictment says.
A journalist and photographer, Morgan promotes her experience in Africa photographing Nelson Mandela as a turning point in her career. In Detroit, Morgan can often be found at high-profile charity events, either as a photographer or as an attendee.
On Facebook, Morgan's profile page has a smiling photo of her standing next to a helicopter and holding a camera.
