AFL-CIO Pledges Votes for Specter in Quid Pro Quo

Our good friend Bill George, head of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, has promised to help out Sen. Arlen Specter, if and only if he votes for "card check", the Washington Times reports (HT to Americans for Prosperity):

Pennsylvania labor leaders promised Sen. Arlen Specter that they will switch union members from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party to help him win a tough 2010 primary election, The Washington Times has learned.

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President William M. George said he pledged Mr. Specter "all kinds of help from the union" in a series of meetings to woo the Republican senator's support for the bill, which would ease rules favoring secret-ballot elections to unionize workplaces.

"We are pushing to give him help in the primary, including changing Democrats to Republicans for the primary," Mr. George told The Times. "It's hard to do because of other races in the state ... but we'll do it for 'card check.' "

Maybe I'm being naïve, but isn't offering to use the powers of your organization to help an elected official win re-election in exchange for his vote on a specific piece of legislation illegal? Any lawyers care to weigh in here?