The federal monitor overseeing the UAW has issued a two-year suspension for a UAW official who posted an AI-generated photo depicting a candidate for the union's presidency bound and gagged with a rifle pointed at his head.
Raymond Jensen is an organizer with the union, from Region 9A in upstate New York, who works for the UAW's Department of Organizing and Bargaining Strategies under the oversight of UAW President Shawn Fain. His suspension follows the July 16 posting of the image on the Facebook page of the candidate, Will Lehman, a 38-year-old Mack Trucks employee from Pennsylvania.
The photo, viewed by the Detroit Free Press, depicted a figure resembling Lehman tied up and bleeding from the mouth with a murky, unidentified figure toting a rile
while standing behind him with the barrel pointed at the back of Lehman's head. The AI-generated image was taken as a death threat by Lehman, a self-proclaimed Socialist, who is challenging Fain (whom Jensen supports) and four others for the top post of the union.
The court-appointed monitor overseeing the union, Neil Barofsky, agreed the photo was threatening and said Jensen broke election rules by posting the image. Barofsky is a New York-based attorney who has been tasked by a federal court with rooting out wrongdoing within the union as part of a court agreement after years of scandal.
Lehman wrote in a news release on July 19 that he contacted the federal monitor and requested an investigation into the comment. Lehman said specifically that he felt threatened because Jensen posted the depiction while Jensen's own Facebook page bore a profile picture that read "I support Shawn Fain."
Just over two weeks later, the monitor concluded his investigation and, on Wednesday, Aug. 5, issued the following rulings, to which Jensen agreed:
- Jensen will be suspended from the UAW for two years.
- Jensen will apologize to Lehman.
- Jensen will be barred from campaigning for any candidate during the UAW's ongoing 2026 election cycle.
- Jensen will be permanently barred from running for any elected position with the UAW.
The monitor oversees the union's elections and has the authority to issue discipline when election rules are violated. Barofsky wrote in the Aug. 5 filing, posted online, that Jensen violated Rule 4-4 of the election rules, which prohibits threats and intimidation during the election process.
According to Barofsky, Jensen confirmed to him in an interview that he had posted the photo, which appeared without any accompanying text. Jensen put the photo in the comments section of one of Lehman's posts.
Members of the UAW will begin voting in late August with a choice to reelect Fain or opt for one of the five candidates opposing him. Fain, who appears to be the front-runner in the election, is facing an unrelated federal investigation into claims he improperly sought benefits for his family members. Fain denies the allegations.
Neither Lehman nor the UAW immediately responded to Free Press requests for comment. Jensen, when reached by phone, declined to comment.
Liam Rappleye covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: UAW official suspended for posting threatening image to union candidate
