New Labor choice praised
WASHINGTON — Moving quickly after his first choice for labor secretary withdrew his nomination amid controversy, President Donald Trump made a seemingly safe selection Thursday in R. Alexander Acosta, a Florida law school dean and former assistant attorney general.
In Acosta, Trump has chosen a nominee with deep experience in labor relations, law and education.
The pick answers concerns about the lack of diversity in the Trump administration, in that Acosta would be the first Hispanic in the president’s Cabinet.
And his chances of being confirmed appear relatively high, since Acosta, currently the dean of Florida International University’s law school, has made it through the Senate process three times
for different roles.
“Alex is going to be a key part of achieving our goal of revitalizing the American economy, manufacturing and labor force,” Trump said as he called on the Senate to confirm Acosta swiftly.
Served on NLRB
Acosta’s most relevant experience to the job of labor secretary is his time at the National Labor Relations Board, where he was a member from 2002 to 2003, under President George W. Bush. Bush later chose Acosta to be assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s civil rights division, one of the highest positions at the agency.
He went on to become the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, where his office prosecuted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, terrorism suspect Jose Padilla and founders of the Cali cartel.
He achieved the conviction of Charles Taylor Jr., the son of Liberia’s former leader, for torture.
His official biography said his office also prosecuted several bank-related cases and targeted healthcare fraud.
Acosta’s record and writings will undergo close scrutiny in the weeks before his confirmation hearing. But some of the most outspoken skeptics of the previous labor nominee, fast-food executive Andrew Puzder, have already expressed optimism and open-mindedness about Acosta.
“I am thrilled that at long last, we have a Hispanic in this Cabinet,” said Javier Palomarez, president of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who was critical of Trump during the presidential campaign.
Praise from unions
Labor groups that assailed Puzder as being anti-worker applauded the choice of Acosta.
“Unlike Andy Puzder, Alexander Acosta’s nomination deserves serious consideration,” said Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO trade union. “In one day, we’ve gone from a fast-food chain CEO who routinely violates labor law to a public servant with experience enforcing it.”
Puzder withdrew his name from consideration Wednesday after Republican senators began turning against him.
They were concerned about a slew of accusations that had surfaced recently, ranging from Puzder’s business record to his employment of an unauthorized immigrant housekeeper to his 1988 divorce.
Hurdles remain
Despite the early praise Acosta has received, it is far from certain that his confirmation will be easy.
Progressive groups, such as the Democratic super PAC American Bridge, were busy Thursday digging through his background and looking for stains on his record.
One area of potential concern is a 2008 investigation by the Justice Department’s inspector general, which looked into whether hiring practices and case assignments at the civil rights division he led were based on political affiliations.
A report on the case found that Acosta had ignored warning signs about such problems.
Another pitfall could be a 2004 letter to a federal judge in Ohio that Acosta sent while he was at the Justice Department, justifying “vote caging” in the presidential election. The practice, in which private citizens in Ohio challenged the eligibility of AfricanAmerican voters, was widely seen as a Republican strategy to disenfranchise minorities.
But colleagues of Acosta’s at Florida International University said he was widely liked as a leader of the law school, striking a healthy balance of being detail-oriented without micromanaging.
A father of two daughters and a lover of science fiction, Acosta is known within his department for being humble and genial.
“I was actually stunned that Donald Trump would make such a sensible choice,” said José Gabilondo, an FIU law professor who has worked closely with Acosta.
“He’s a very mature person with a sense of decorum, and I think he’ll make a very big contribution to the administration.”