Unity House

From dKosopedia

Category: Unions in Hawaii

Unity House Inc., a non-profit organization, was founded in 1951 by Arthur Rutledge, as a labor support organization. Unity House manages some $30 million for 20,000 past and present members of Local 5 and Hawai'i Teamsters Union Local 996. Both locals were also founded Arthur Rutledge.

In December 2004, federal agents seized control of Unity House after a federal grand jury issued the last of three criminal indictments against Tony Rultledge and his son Aaron Rutledge that included charges the two men used Unity House assets for personal purposes and otherwise mismanaged the nonprofit's funds. Tony Rutledge is the son of Unity House founder, Arthur Rutledge.

External Links

• Unity House, Inc. (Unity House website)
• Rutledge duo faces tax fraud charges -- An indictment alleges that the family hid money from a beach stand in a slush fund (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 8-21-03)

• Rutledges’ fraud plea: Not guilty -- Father and son are charged with allegedly filing false tax returns (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 9-5-03)
• Union wants Rutledge ban -- Local 5 charges its former leader took part in a scheme to defraud the organization By Tim Ruel (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 10-30-03)
• Education lobby should comply with law THE ISSUE: An education lobby created by Governor Lingle has yet to file a expenditure report to the state Ethics Commission. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7-6-04)
• Rutledge withdraws membership from isle hotel union (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1-29-04)
• Eject political lobby from governor’s offices (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 4-13-04)
• Lingle’s group may be breaking ethics laws -- The education reform group uses state funds and state workers (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 4-11-04)
• 2 Hawaii nonprofits sue California film company (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 8-20-04)
• RAIDED Federal officials seize the assets of the $42-million Unity House -- An attorney for labor leader Tony Rutledge will fight the action (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 12-15-04)
• Jury alleges Rutledge tried to move funds -- Alleged plans to send assets overseas came a year after indictment -- A Unity House attorney says new allegations are without merit (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 12-17-04)
• Prosecutors seek $1 million in bail for Rutledge and son Prosecutors say an IRS investigation jeopardizes Unity House (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 12-21-04)
• Rutledges are told to wear trackers -- Former labor leader Tony Rutledge and his son Aaron are deemed flight risks (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 12-31-04)
• Rutledge’s fraud trial is delayed (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1-4-05)
• Mayor keeping faith in nominee A suit alleged John Reed made racial remarks to employees Patrick Kubota, is Hannemann's choice to be deputy budget director. Kubota was executive director of Unity House until 2002 (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1-7-05)
• Rutledge fee fraud alleged -- A court-appointed receiver says $26,000 monthly benefited relatives and friends (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1-11-05)

• Judge upholds Unity House seizure ruling -- Evidence said to show Rutledge political clout is unsealed in court (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1-12-05)
• Rutledges’ group got no favors, says Lingle (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1-13-05)
• Labor group shows clout in passage of recent bill -- Only Unity House allegedly gained from nonprofit rule changes (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1-16-05)
• Seized Unity House sells Kapiolani building for $6M -- The labor organization had bought the former NCR Building for $5M (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1-25-05)
• Unity House receiver warns of meltdown (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 2-4-05)
• 3 Unity House properties to be sold (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 4-27-05)
• Student applicants face fee for scholarship -- A $50 processing fee from Unity House is raising eyebrows among isle educators (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 5-5-05)
• Rutledge pleads guilty to fraud -- But a federal judge is concerned about the ex-union leader's deal (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 8-26-05)
• Unity House names interim director (Honolulu Advertiser, 10-29-05)
• Judge kills deal letting Rutledges return to Unity -- The father and son had originally faced multiple fraud charges By Debra Barayuga (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 11-17-05)
• Rutledges broach a new plea deal -- Unity House's former president and his son face sentencing today By Rosemarie Bernardo (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 2-3-06)
• Rutledge pleads guilty to 1 charge By Jim Dooley (Honolulu Advertiser, 2-7-06)
• Rather than save face, they blew the case By David Shapiro (Honolulu Advertiser, 2-8-06)