President Trump said Thursday that he would name Eugene Scalia as his next Secretary of Labor, tapping the longtime labor lawyer and son of the former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia for a position with vast responsibility over the American work force. In a post on Twitter, President Trump said Mr. Scalia “has led a life of great success in the legal and labor field and is highly respected.”
If confirmed, Scalia will replace Alexander Acosta. Acosta said last week that he would resign amid scrutiny of his handling of the case of financier Jeffrey Epstein when Acosta was a federal prosecutor in Florida. Acosta’s deputy, Patrick Pizzella is to serve as acting secretary as Acosta’s resignation becomes effective today.
Like his father, Eugene Scalia is a member of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization that has attained influence within the Trump administration. Scalia has a long record of representing Walmart and other companies that pushed back against unions and tougher labor laws. He was a top lawyer for the Labor Department in the George W. Bush administration and is currently a partner in the Washington office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, prominent corporate law firm.
