DETROIT-AFT Michigan has secured a comprehensive settlement agreement of its nearly decadelong litigation against the political attack group Project Veritas and its operative Marisa L. Jorge.

AFT Michigan filed suit after Jorge in 2017 created a false identity as a University of Michigan education student to secure an internship with AFT Michigan with the purpose of gathering information for use in a smear campaign against the union.

The settlement follows a federal judge's decision in March granting summary judgement in favor of AFT Michigan on its claims of trespass and fraudulent misrepresentation.

While the terms of the settlement are confidential, the agreement will have the effect of deterring Project Veritas from again attempting to infiltrate a labor organization.

AFT Michigan President Terrence Martin and AFT President Randi Weingarten released the following statements on the settlement:

"I'm proud of what this settlement represents about our leaders and staff," Martin said. "The spy who infiltrated our union was hoping to dig up embarrassing information on us but found instead how hard everyone at AFT Michigan works to represent our members. Nine years later, AFT Michigan has almost doubled in size-amplifying our voices on behalf of our members and those we serve-while Project Veritas is nearly gone."

"Nearly a decade ago, Project Veritas, a conservative hit group known for its use of deceptive and dirty tactics, infiltrated our affiliate in an attempt to embarrass educators and their union and discredit public education," Weingarten said. "They thought they could break us, but we exposed their tactics and fought for the truth. And as we now settle this lawsuit, the once well-funded Project Veritas is virtually defunct while the AFT is thriving. We are grateful that this long-running legal battle has concluded, and we will continue to fight for the promise of public schools and oppose reckless and unethical behavior from ideologues whose sole purpose is to undermine them."

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The AFT represents 1.875 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.