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Federal grand jury subpoenas teachers union records in Michigan protest case

Federal grand jury subpoenas teachers union records in Michigan protest case

Force in Play

The American Federation of Teachers and its University of Michigan local were ordered to hand over membership rolls and meeting minutes dating to 2023.

Today: The Intercept reports AFT subpoena

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

A federal grand jury has ordered the American Federation of Teachers and its University of Michigan local to turn over complete membership lists, officer payroll records, and meeting minutes dating to January 2023. The subpoenas are part of the Justice Department's case against pro-Palestine protesters at the university.

The demand reaches past the dozen activists charged. It asks a 1.7-million-member union for the names of people who may never be accused of anything, and it lands while the local union is already fighting its own subpoena in court.

Why it matters

A grand jury can compel a union to name every member who attended a meeting, turning routine organizing records into a map of political activity.

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Key Indicators

1.7 million
AFT members
The national union's membership, according to The Intercept.
3,000+
AFT local chapters
Locals across the country, including GEO at the University of Michigan.
12
Activists charged
Pro-Palestine protesters facing felony charges in the Michigan case, per The Intercept.

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People Involved

HT
Hiab Teshome
President, Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO)
Charges dismissed; union fighting federal subpoena
NC
Natalie Chen
Communications Director, GEO
Active
 Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Active
KP
Kara Phipps
FBI Special Agent
Active
XJ
Xavier de Janon
Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild
Active

Organizations Involved

American Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Teachers
National labor union
Received grand jury subpoena; says it will not respond until GEO's motion is decided

A 1.7-million-member teachers union with more than 3,000 local chapters, including GEO at the University of Michigan.
GE
Graduate Employees' Organization
Labor union local
Filed motion to quash federal subpoena

The AFT local representing graduate employees at the University of Michigan.
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal agency
Issuing subpoenas through a federal grand jury

The federal department prosecuting the Michigan protest case and seeking union records.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
US federal law enforcement agency
Assisting the grand jury investigation

The federal investigative agency tied to the Michigan protest case and the union subpoenas.
National Lawyers Guild
National Lawyers Guild
Legal advocacy organization
Commenting on the subpoenas

A legal advocacy group that tracks political surveillance and grand jury subpoenas.
TC
Tahrir Coalition
Student political coalition
Referenced in federal filings

A pro-Palestine student collective at the University of Michigan named repeatedly in the federal case.

Timeline

2024 November 2026

8 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. The Intercept reports AFT subpoena

    Today Investigation

    The Intercept published the previously unreported AFT subpoena, showing the probe's wider reach.

  2. GEO discloses AFT subpoena

    Statement

    GEO said AFT would not respond until GEO's motion to quash is decided.

  3. GEO learns AFT was subpoenaed

    Investigation

    GEO learned its parent union had also received a federal grand jury subpoena.

  4. Subpoena hand-delivered

    Legal

    The government served the subpoena on GEO by hand delivery.

  5. GEO moves to quash

    Legal

    GEO retained attorneys and filed a motion to quash the subpoena.

  6. FedEx service attempt fails

    Legal

    An attempt to serve GEO's subpoena by FedEx did not meet legal requirements.

  7. Federal indictment unsealed

    Legal

    The Justice Department unsealed felony charges against pro-Palestine activists; FBI agents raided homes that morning.

  8. University recruits state attorney general

    Escalation

    After local prosecutors dismissed most charges against student protesters, the university asked Michigan's attorney general to bring state charges.

Scenarios

1

Judge quashes the GEO subpoena

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: GEO attorneys and labor-side legal observers

A federal judge grants GEO's motion to quash, finding the subpoena defective or overbroad. That would undercut the parallel AFT demand, which the union has said it will not answer until the GEO motion is decided.

2

Unions hand over full membership rolls

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: The Intercept and GEO statements

A court orders compliance, and AFT or GEO produces complete membership lists, officer records, and meeting minutes to federal prosecutors. GEO has said it will fight to protect member data, so this would require a court loss.

3

AFT negotiates a narrower subpoena

Uncertain Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Labor lawyers and union officials

Prosecutors narrow the demand, dropping membership rolls in exchange for a smaller set of financial or officer records. This would let AFT comply without exposing rank-and-file members.

4

Prosecutors bring new charges from union records

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Civil-liberties groups critical of the probe

Records turned over by the unions identify additional people or communications, and prosecutors unseal new felony charges. This is the outcome critics of the subpoenas say the broad demand is designed to produce.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1956–1971

COINTELPRO (1956–1971)

The FBI ran a covert program to surveil, infiltrate, and disrupt political organizations, including civil rights groups, antiwar movements, and labor unions. Agents gathered membership lists and meeting records and passed them to employers and prosecutors.

Then

The program remained secret until activists broke into an FBI office in 1971 and leaked files.

Now

Congress investigated, and the FBI imposed internal limits on domestic surveillance. The episode became the standard reference for political intelligence-gathering.

Why this matters now

The current subpoenas seek the same kind of material COINTELPRO collected: who belongs, who attends meetings, and what was said.

1919–1920

Palmer Raids (1919–1920)

Federal agents under Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer raided homes and meeting halls of suspected radicals, immigrants, and labor organizers, arresting thousands and deporting hundreds without trial.

Then

The raids were widely criticized after courts and officials found many arrests lacked evidence.

Now

The backlash helped establish due-process limits on federal enforcement and discredited the Justice Department's political surveillance for a generation.

Why this matters now

It shows how federal enforcement power aimed at political groups can outrun the evidence and later be reversed.

1947

Taft-Hartley anti-communist affidavits (1947)

The Taft-Hartley Act required union officers to sign affidavits that they were not communists before their unions could use the National Labor Relations Board. Unions that refused lost access to federal labor protections.

Then

Many unions complied, and some expelled left-wing officers to keep their NLRB access.

Now

The affidavits were repealed in 1959, but the episode set a precedent for tying union rights to political loyalty.

Why this matters now

It is the closest historical case of the federal government using a legal lever to force unions to disclose or disavow political affiliations.

Sources

(6)
The Intercept (via Internationly) Graduate Employees' Organization Ann Arbor Record Truthout Mondoweiss The Real News