Ineligible Unions Collected Nearly $37 Million in Federal COVID-19 Relief: Report

Ineligible Unions Collected Nearly $37 Million in Federal COVID-19 Relief: Report
A man wearing a mask walks the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on March 20, 2020. Victor J. Blue/Getty Images
Matthew Vadum
Updated:

Labor unions and related organizations took in $36.7 million in federal taxpayer funds through the Paycheck Protection Program for which they were legally ineligible, according to a new report from the Freedom Foundation.

Legislation creating the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was signed by President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The PPP authorized $349 billion in guaranteed U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans for eligible individuals, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to cover payroll, rent, and utility payments.