Judge asked to throw out ILA racketeering suit.

A U.S. District judge has been asked to dismiss a civil racketeering lawsuit that seeks to oust top officials of the International Longshoremen's Association and put the union and several benefit programs under federal control. Judge I. Leo Glasser grilled Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hayes about whether the 85-page lawsuit properly alleges a racketeering conspiracy in violation of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act. The U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn filed the suit two years ago.

ILA attorneys and other defendants argued that the government's case consisted of allegations cobbled together to support a claim that the ILA, its top leaders, its …