A federal judge has ruled that because a candidate for union office in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 did not first allow the union to complete an internal investigation into alleged intimidation of candidates, part of the secretary of labor’s lawsuit against the union had to be dismissed.

In an April 14 decision, U.S. District Judge Gerald McHugh of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said that the lawsuit was filed without giving IBEW a chance to run an internal investigation into claims that its boss, John Dougherty, and other union officials threatened those running for office within IBEW who were critical of its leader.