* 11/21/25 - Crains - CTU faces federal scrutiny over missing financial audits + copy of related letter
Buzz Sawyer
CTU faces federal scrutiny
over missing financial audits
Federal lawmakers are scrutinizing the Chicago Teachers Union over questions about how it has managed members’ dues, according to Fox News.
The House Education and Workforce Committee has asked CTU President Stacy Davis Gates to explain why the union has not produced complete financial audits for several years, saying the gaps date back to 2020. In a letter to CTU, committee leaders warned that a lack of transparency undermines members’ trust and suggested that additional federal reporting requirements may be warranted. (See the letter below.)
The committee said it is evaluating whether reforms to the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act are needed to ensure union members receive timely financial information. CTU’s own bylaws call for annual audits to be published and made available to members, but the committee claims the union is more than five years behind. It also cited published reports that Davis Gates and other leaders dismissed requests for audits from members, allegedly characterizing them as racially loaded.
By Dec. 8, lawmakers are seeking a wide range of materials, including unabridged audited financial reports from 2019 through 2024, records of union meetings since 2020, and documentation of how CTU has responded to member requests for financial disclosures. The letter says the committee wants to understand how the breakdown occurred to guide potential legislative changes.