The Department of Labor has rescind a regulation that would increase scrutiny over union finances.

Currently, unions are required to file annual financial disclosures to the department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards. The information is utilized to investigate embezzlement, fraud, and other forms of financial corruption. It’s an interesting decision, given that the department’s own criminal investigations resulted in over 1,000 indictments, 929 convictions, and more than $93 million in court-ordered restitution from 2001 to 2008.