Dan Rush
{{short description|American union founder and director}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dan Rush
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Daniel James Rush
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|08|22}}
| birth_place = Oakland, California
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = American
| other_names =
| occupation = Founder and National Director, United Food and Commercial Workers, Medical Cannabis and Hemp Division{{cite web |url=https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sanfrancisco/news/press-releases/union-organizer-indicted-for-corruption-attempted-extortion-and-money-laundering | title=Union Organizer Indicted for Corruption, Attempted Extortion, and Money Laundering | work=FBI | date=17 September 2015}}
| years_active =
| known_for = Cannabis activism, criminal conviction for bribery
| notable_works =
}}
Dan Rush is an American former union organizer and former statewide political and special operations director of the United Food and Commercial Workers for cannabis and hemp workers.{{cite web |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article24595738.html | title=Growth of California's pot industry is good news for unions | work=Mcclatchydc.com | date=3 October 2010| author=Peter Hecht}} He was known for being a leader in the United States Labor movement in politics and for cannabis and hemp industry workers, and a civil and motorcycle rights activist.{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-sep-22-la-me-0922-pot-union-20100922-story.html | title=California's largest labor union backs pot legalization initiative | work=Los Angeles Times | date=22 September 2010 | author=John Hoeffel}}{{cite web |url=https://oaklandnorth.net/2015/11/10/will-unionizing-the-cannabis-industry-bud-in-oakland/ | title=Will unionizing the cannabis industry bud in Oakland? | work=Oakland North | date=10 November 2015 | author= Chris Harland}} Rush began his career in the union in the 1980s as a senior official responsible for carrying out statewide ballot industry politics and eventually founded the concept of organizing medical cannabis and hemp workers in the United States and Canada.{{cite web |url=https://cannabisnow.com/former-cannabis-union-honcho-feds/ | title=Former Cannabis Union Honcho: Feds Took Me Out | work=CannabisNow | date=21 July 2016 | author=Chris Roberts}} He was later investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for enriching himself at the expense of his union in 2015, and for cheating his clients by betraying them for bribes from other cannabis industry stakeholders.{{cite news | url=http://www.eastbayexpress.com/LegalizationNation/archives/2015/09/24/pot-union-organizer-dan-rush-pleads-not-guilty-to-corruption-attempted-extortion-and-money-laundering | title=Pot Union Organizer Dan Rush Pleads Not Guilty to Corruption, Attempted Extortion, and Money Laundering | work=East Bay Express | date=24 September 2015| author=David Downs}}{{cite web |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/union-organizer-indicted-corruption-attempted-extortion-and-money-laundering | title=Union Organizer Indicted For Corruption, Attempted Extortion, And Money Laundering | work=United States Department of Justice | date=17 September 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://marijuanapolitics.com/marijuana-union-organizer-wanted-by-fbi-on-corruption-charges/ | title=Marijuana Union Organizer Wanted by FBI on Corruption Charges | work=Marijuanapolitics.com | date=14 August 2015| author=Romain Bonilla}} He took a plea bargain in 2017, pled guilty to three charges, and served a multiyear sentence in federal prison.
Career
He was born in Oakland, California. He was a union organizer.{{cite web |url=http://www.nationinstitute.org/featuredwork/fellows/1280/just_say_now | title=Just Say Now | work=Oakland North | date=2 September 2010 | author=Ari Berman |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104090949/http://www.nationinstitute.org/featuredwork/fellows/1280/just_say_now |archive-date=2017-01-04 |access-date=April 21, 2020}}
Rush was hired to work on various projects for the UFCW Local 5.{{cite web |url=http://ufcw5.org/ufcw-local-5-statement-on-the-indictment-of-dan-rush/ | title=UFCW Local 5 Statement on the Indictment of Dan Rush | work=UFCW Local 5 | date=15 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818074758/https://ufcw5.org/ufcw-local-5-statement-on-the-indictment-of-dan-rush/ |archive-date=2015-08-18 |access-date=April 21, 2020}}{{cite web |url=http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2010/05/california_medical_marijuana_workers_form_union.php/ | title=California Medical Marijuana Workers Form Union | work=Tokeofthetown.com | date=28 May 2010 | author=Steve Elliott}}{{cite web |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/union-endorses-initiative-to-control-and-tax-marijuana-in-california-.html | title=Union endorses initiative to legalize marijuana in California | work=Los Angeles Times | date=14 July 2010}}
In 2012, he was national director of the Medical Cannabis and Hemp Division of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.{{cite web |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/oaksterdam-raid-rally.html | title=After cannabis school raid, big turnout expected at S.F. protest | work=Los Angeles Times | date=2 April 2012}}
He was hired by the UFCW International Union in 2014 to head up their cannabis division as Organizing Coordinator.{{cite web |url=http://www.cannabispolicyreform.org/ccpr_board |title=CCPR Board of Directors |work=Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104162700/http://www.cannabispolicyreform.org/ccpr_board |archive-date=2017-01-04 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news | url=http://www.eastbayexpress.com/LegalizationNation/archives/2015/08/18/indicted-pot-union-ex-official-dan-rush-says-he-will-be-vindicated | title=Indicted Pot Union Ex-Official Dan Rush Says He Will Be Vindicated | work=East Bay Express | date=18 August 2015| author=David Downs |access-date=April 21, 2020}} In 2017 he testified that he never graduated from high school.
Federal prosecution
Multiple cannabis dispensary entrepreneurs went to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, or responded to FBI corruption inquiries, after feeling cheated or betrayed by Rush.
This produced a Federal investigation called Operation Limelight. Rush was investigated on corruption charges for using his influence to favor Oakland cannabis businesses in return for paying off a $420,000 loan on Rush's personal house with a shopping bag full of cash.{{cite news | url=http://www.dailycal.org/2015/09/24/berkeley-medical-cannabis-commission-member-arraigned-for-extortion-taking-bribes/ | title=Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission member arraigned for extortion, taking bribes | work=The Daily Californian | date=24 September 2015 | author1=Laurel Bard |author2=Maya Eliahou |author3=Emma Soldon}} The "sordid details of his indictment" in August 2015 led the national union to immediately fire him.
Rush was originally scheduled to go to trial in 2017. However, on June 20, 2017, Rush pled guilty to two charges of betraying his union for a bribe from an employer, and a third charge of structuring a $500,000 cash deposit to avoid banks reporting it.{{cite web |title=06 22 17 Rush Hearing Transcript Guilty Plea |url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6820784-06-22-17-Rush-Hearing-Transcript-Guilty-Plea.html |author=United States District Court, Northern District of California |series=Case No. CR 15-00454 HSG |date=June 22, 2017 |accessdate=March 29, 2020}} He was sentenced to 37 months in prison. San Francisco Chronicle reporter Jason Fagone interviewed Rush in prison in 2018.{{cite news |title=Operation Limelight — How a fearsome, fast-talking union boss helped legalize pot, took kickbacks and ended up in prison |author=Jason Fagone |date=March 29, 2020 |url=https://projects.sfchronicle.com/2020/bay-area-union-boss-legalize-pot/ |accessdate=April 21, 2020}} On March 24, 2020, Rush was transferred from federal prison to a halfway house in San Francisco.