According to The Detroit News, dozens of his supporters including a member of Congress wrote letters to the court. His wife, one of his sons, and a family friend spoke during a court hearing regarding his sentence. His lawyer requested leniency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I cannot tell you how ashamed and remorseful I am for what I’ve done. I betrayed the trust that my union members had in for me for over 50 years, and for that, I am genuinely sorry, said Ashton during the hearing. He added,” I take full ownership of my actions and no apology will ever change the damage that I have done.”
UAW says the prison sentence for Joe Ashton is “appropriate”
U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman of the Eastern District of Michigan said he took into consideration the comments and letters when he determined the punishment for the former union leader
In a statement on Tuesday, the UAW commented that Ashton’s prison sentence is “appropriate,” adding that his “crimes defy everything we stand for as a union and demonstrate his lack of respect for the oath of office he took and the rank-and-file members he represented.”
