Hoffa's Victory Given Official OK

WASHINGTON (AP) — James P. Hoffa won a federal overseer's approval Thursday to assume the Teamsters presidency, but the election monitor barred one of his running mates from taking office and delayed his decision on two union vice presidents from Canada.

Tom Leedham, who opposed Hoffa in the December 1998 contest after a campaign finance scandal overturned incumbent president Ron Carey's 1996 re-election and barred him from the rerun, said he had not decided whether to appeal.

``It has been two years since the members of this union had legitimate, elected leaders,'' Hoffa said in a prepared statement. ``I call on the Leedham slate to accept this decision and not further delay the inevitable with appeals.''

Election officer Michael Cherkasky refused to certify the results for two of the vice presidents from Canada, who ran on a separate ticket, while he investigates charges of voter fraud.

Cherkasky barred Hoffa running mate J.D. Potter from assuming his seat on the board. Potter was one of two Hoffa running mates charged with wrongdoing by a separate court-appointed board since the ballots were tallied.

The Independent Review Board charged Potter, the leader of a Texas local, with lying to the election office about breaking donation limits.