SAG-AFTRA took a major step Tuesday towards kicking Donald Trump out of the union. Meeting in special session, the national board of directors voted overwhelmingly to find “probable cause” that Trump, who has been a member for over 30 years, has “violated the union’s Constitution,” and ordered the matter to be heard by SAG-AFTRA’s Disciplinary Committee.
If found guilty by the committee, possible penalties include reprimand, censure, fines, suspension from the rights and privileges of membership, or expulsion.
The charges cite Trump’s role in inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and his “sustaining a reckless campaign of misinformation aimed at discrediting and ultimately threatening the safety of journalists, many of whom are SAG-AFTRA members.”
The charges were initiated by David White, the union’s national executive director, at the request of SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris, who have requested the imposition of the most severe penalty available to the union: his expulsion from membership.
“Donald Trump attacked the values that this union holds most sacred – democracy, truth, respect for our fellow Americans of all races and faiths, and the sanctity of the free press,” Carteris said. “There’s a straight line from his wanton disregard for the truth to the attacks on journalists perpetrated by his followers.”
“Our most important role as a union is the protection of our members,” said White. “The unfortunate truth is, this individual’s words and actions over the past four years have presented actual harm to our broadcast journalist members. The board’s resolution addresses this effort to undermine freedom of the press and reaffirms the principles on which our democratic society rests, and which we must all work to protect and preserve.”
SAG-AFTRA, which represents thousands of broadcast journalists across the country, said that reports of intimidation and physical assaults against journalists “have escalated throughout Trump’s presidency.”
In accordance with federal labor law and the SAG-AFTRA Constitution, disciplinary action can only be taken if the charged member is found guilty after a hearing before the Disciplinary Committee. The union noted that members of the committee did not participate in today’s probable cause review, and that as charging parties, neither Carteris nor White will take any role in decision-making on this disciplinary matter.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Deadline