The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Federation of Teachers coordinated in a deliberate attempt to break Philadelphia campaign finance law, according to a settlement reached Tuesday between the PFT and the Philadelphia Board of Ethics.

The PFT gave City Council candidate Helen Gym $11,500, Philadelphia's per candidate contribution limit. On Feb. 26, the PFT donated exactly $11,500 to the Pennsylvania chapter of the AFT. That very same day, the Pennsylvania chapter's executive council voted to write Gym's campaign a check for exactly $11,500. Both the PFT and the Board of Ethics agreed this arrangement exceeded Philadelphia's per-candidate contribution limits by $11,500.

The maximum penalty for a campaign finance violation in Philadelphia is $2,000. Under the settlement, the union's fine was reduced to $1,500 even though its donation was $11,500 too large.

The settlement did not state whether Gym was required to return the excess $11,500 she received. The Executive Director of the Philadelphia Board of Ethics, Shane Creamer, told the Washington Examiner that a confidentiality agreement restricts him from commenting on whether that was the case.

Jerry Jordan, the President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, also serves on the Executive Council of the Pennsylvania chapter of the AFT and is a member of the chapter's political committee. The political committees of the Pennsylvania chapter and the Philadelphia chapter have the same treasurer, Jack Steinberg.

Ironically, the PFT announced its endorsement of Gym in February at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Daily News reports.