The American Federation of Teachers is once again under scrutiny for using members dues to underwrite a sprawling ecosystem of left-wing advocacy groups and political allies that overwhelmingly advance Democratic Party priorities.
As reported by WND, the powerful teachers union does not merely spend money on direct partisan activity; it also channels substantial sums into a network of progressive nonprofits that shape policy, mobilize voters, and reinforce the broader liberal infrastructure. According to filings with the Department of Labor, the AFT steered $250,000 to the Center for American Progress, a flagship left-leaning public policy organization closely aligned with Democratic administrations. It also sent $100,000 apiece to Emilys List, which backs female candidates who support abortion, the National Action Network, the Rev. Al Sharptons activist operation, and the American Prospect, a progressive news outlet co-founded by Clinton-era Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
The unions largesse extended to the Clinton political orbit and LGBT activism, with $75,000 going to the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation and $10,000 to the Human Rights Campaign. It is political advocacy by another name, Michael Watson, research director at the Capital Research Center, told in an interview Tuesday. Watson argued that each recipient plays a distinct role in advancing the Lefts agenda, from policy design to on-the-ground mobilization. Youve got developing policythats what they do, Watson said.
Then youve got Emilys List activating women on abortion, because thats what they do, he continued, underscoring how union dollars help sustain one of the most aggressive pro-abortion political machines in the country. Then National Action Network, youve got the Al Sharpton patronage network and identity politics for African-Americans in New York City. As for the Clinton Foundation, Watson noted that AFT President Randi Weingarten has long maintained a close relationship with Hillary Clinton, and the AFT became the first major national union to endorse Clinton in the 2016 primary.
For Watson, these payments are not incidental but emblematic of how the Lefts coalition operates and rewards loyalty. This is what being part of a coalition means, he added. It means you go scratch everybodys back in the hope that when theyre in a position of influence and authority, they can scratch yours. In other words, teachers dues are being leveraged to keep a tight political machine well-oiled and mutually dependent.
The unions own federal filings show how these transfers are categorized and how they fit into the AFTs broader spending priorities. Watson noted that contributions to these nonprofits appear in the contributions, gifts, and grants section of the Labor Department filing, a catchall category for expenditures that do not fit elsewhere. During the filing period between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, AFT reported spending $111.7 million on representational activities, $37 million on political activities and lobbying, and $5.9 million on contributions, gifts, and grants.
Those same disclosures reveal that AFT President Randi Weingarten received $546,158 in total compensation during the period, underscoring the lucrative nature of union leadership at the top of the education establishment. While unions are not allowed to use members dues to support campaign efforts directly backing political candidates, they can legally funnel dues into contributions, gifts, and grants. That loophole effectively allows union bosses to bankroll ideological allies and advocacy groups that, in turn, shape the political environment in favor of the Left.
The Center for American Progress defended its relationship with the AFT, insisting the money was used for policy work rather than partisan campaigning. A representative for the Center for American Progress said went to research and education programs. AFT has supported CAPs research into high-quality career and technical education programs, which provide K-12 students with hands-on experience in fields such as manufacturing, construction, business, and the skilled trades, the spokesperson told the Daily Signal. The Daily Signal reached out for comment to the AFT, Emilys List, the National Action Network, and the Clinton Foundation, but they did not respond.
Critics say the pattern is unmistakable: compulsory dues from rank-and-file teachers are being weaponized to advance a hard-left agenda that many educators and taxpayers do not share. AFTs own filings show how teachers dues money is being used as a political war chest to advance the far-left agenda of union bosses, National Right to Work Committee President Mark Mix told the Daily Signal in a statement. Mix argued that Americans often overlook that this spending is fueled by a special privilege no private organization should have: government-granted monopoly bargaining power that requires elected officials to negotiate with union bosses over how public education is run. Until that privilege is ended, teacher union bosses like Randi Weingarten will continue to abuse this extraordinary power to the detriment of students, teachers, and taxpayers.
Watson likewise framed the donations as part of a larger structural reality in which organized labor undergirds the modern Left. Watson argued that the donations reflect labor unions broader role in the Lefts politics. Organized labor is a load-bearing wall, he said, describing unions as a key source of funding and support within the broader coalition.
This is big labor writing, from its members dues, a six-figure check to Center for American Progress to have its hand in the public policy development process. Watson argued that since unions serve a semi-public function, their dues are basically taxes extracted from workers. For conservatives, that characterization highlights the core problem: a quasi-public entity using what amounts to coerced funds to push ideological projects that would struggle to attract such resources in a truly voluntary marketplace.
Teachers inside the system are increasingly voicing frustration with how their money is spent and the priorities of union leadership. It is all a blaring example of how unions care more about their political strongholds in leftist ideologies than the teachers and the students they teach, Julie Collier, a public school teacher in Oklahoma and a founding member of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, told the Daily Signal. Its time commonsense teachers, who value the teaching profession, exit their unions. For those who believe education should focus on students rather than serving as a funding pipeline for progressive politics, the AFTs filings offer a stark reminder of why union reformand the freedom to opt outremains a central conservative cause.
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