SCOOP: Teachers Union Head Under Fire For Trying To Use Pension Funds For Left-Wing Political Goals
Spencer Lombardo
Contributor
June 11, 2026
9:54 AM ET
The second largest teachers union in the U.S. may be using pensions to advance their political agenda, an education watchdog suggests.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has advocated for fossil fuel divestments, pro-DEI boycotts and other pressure campaigns, Consumers’ Research told acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling in a letter Wednesday. The letter requests an investigation into whether AFT is influencing public pension trustees to go beyond their fiduciary duties and use their position to advance the union’s political priorities.
Millions of educators rely on public pension fiduciaries to retire. While AFT doesn’t directly control public pension funds, over 50 AFT-affiliated trustees serve on 27 public pension funds, according to the letter. (RELATED: How Teachers Unions Help To Schools Into Leftist Activist Pipeline, Starting In Kindergarten)
AFT didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
https://dailycaller.com/2026/06/11/teachers-union-pension-funds-leftwing-political-goals/
