Eugene Scalia | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| 28thUnited States Secretary of Labor | |
| In office September 30, 2019 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Patrick Pizzella |
| Preceded by | Alexander Acosta |
| Succeeded by | Marty Walsh |
| 25thUnited States Solicitor of Labor | |
| In office January 11, 2002 – January 17, 2003 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Henry Solano |
| Succeeded by | Howard M. Radzely |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1963-08-14)August 14, 1963 (age 62) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 7 |
| Relatives | Antonin Scalia (father) |
| Education | University of Virginia (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
Eugene Scalia (born August 14, 1963) is an American lawyer who served as the 28thUnited States Secretary of Labor during the final 16 months of thefirst Trump administration from 2019 to 2021.[1] Scalia previously served as theUnited States Solicitor of Labor under PresidentGeorge W. Bush. He is a son of the lateSupreme Court Associate JusticeAntonin Scalia.
Scalia was described byThe New York Times as "a skilled lawyer with a broadly conservative, pro-business and anti-regulatory agenda".[2] As Secretary of Labor, he reversedObama-era labor and employment regulations.[3][4] He returned to become a partner atGibson Dunn at the end of his tenure.[5]
Scalia was born on August 14, 1963, inCleveland, Ohio, the second of nine children of future Supreme Court JusticeAntonin Scalia and Maureen (née McCarthy) Scalia.[6][7] He attended theUniversity of Chicago Laboratory Schools, where he was known colloquially as "Gene" and graduated in 1981. Scalia became an editor of the school newspaper,U-High Midway, and had his column called "Blind Side". He also participated in soccer and debate; during his time as a student, Scalia was elected vice-president of the school's disciplinary board, beating classmateArne Duncan, who would later be appointedU.S. Secretary of Education.[8]
Scalia enrolled at theUniversity of Virginia, where he graduated in 1985 with aBachelor of Arts (B.A.) with distinction ineconomics and a minor inpolitical science. He worked for the U.S. government for two years, then attended theUniversity of Chicago Law School, where he became editor-in-chief of theUniversity of Chicago Law Review. He graduated in 1990 with aJ.D. degree,cum laude.[9]
Scalia first entered government service in theUnited States Department of Education as an aide toWilliam J. Bennett, theU.S. Secretary of Education, from 1985 to 1987.[7] From 1992 to 1993, he served as Special Assistant toAttorney GeneralWilliam P. Barr.[9] Scalia was in private practice in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, California.[9] In 2000, his firm,Gibson Dunn, representedGeorge W. Bush before the U.S. Supreme Court inBush v. Gore.[10]
He served as theSolicitor of Labor, having been appointed by President Bush in April 2001 and assuming the position in January 2002 following arecess appointment.[11]
At the time, he was accused by Democratic senators and labor groups of being hostile to workers and criticized for his articles criticizingergonomics.[12][13]
A group of former career officials within the Department of Labor have since described Scalia as having been "very supportive of enforcement litigation to vindicate the rights of workers, both at the trial and appellate levels".[14] In 2019,The New York Times wrote that Scalia "is perhaps best known for his opposition to a regulation that would have mandated greater protections for workers at risk of repetitive stress injuries".[15] The regulation was repealed by Congress in 2001.[16]
During his career in private practice, Scalia has defended major corporations against financial and labor regulations.[13][15][17]
Writing inThe New Yorker,Eyal Press said: "as a corporate lawyer, Scalia has repeatedly hindered the efforts of workers to secure benefits or defend their rights."[18] After leaving the Bush administration, he helped Wall Street firms oppose financial oversight and criticized banking regulations put in place under Obama.[13]
Scalia argued for the plaintiffs inWal-Mart v. Maryland in July 2006, which invalidated a state law under which large companies with at least 10,000 employees would have been required to spend at least 8% of their payroll on employee healthcare.[19]
Following his term as Secretary of Labor, Scalia returned to private practice atGibson Dunn, where he is co-chair of the firm'sadministrative law and regulatory practice group.[20]
On July 18, 2019, PresidentDonald Trump announced he would nominate Scalia to be the next Secretary of Labor.[21] On September 26, 2019, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 53–44.[22][23] Scalia was sworn in by Vice PresidentMike Pence on September 30.[24] Scalia is the only person to have served as both Solicitor and Secretary of Labor.[25]
During his tenure in the Department of Labor, he weakened some labor and employment protections, drawing criticism from organized labor leaders.[18][26][27]
Janet Herold, an Obama-era career appointee to the Labor Department, spearheaded a number of employment discrimination lawsuits against major technology companies, including theOracle Corporation. In 2019, Herold filed a complaint in which she alleged that Scalia had abused his authority by intervening to settle a 2017 Labor Department lawsuit in which Oracle was being investigated for allegedly underpaying women and people of color.[28][18] Scalia encouraged a settlement figure between $17 million and $38 million, which Herold considered too low. Oracle went on to win the case, with the Department of Labor deciding not to appeal the decision.[29] The Department of Labor dismissed Herold's complaint against Scalia, saying that Herold's "retaliation allegations rest on erroneous speculation regarding matters she is not in a position to know" and that Scalia had not participated in settlement discussions with Oracle.[30] Herold was fired by Scalia in January 2021 after refusing to accept a transfer to a non-legal position.[31][32]
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| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | United States Secretary of Labor 2019–2021 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Cabinet Member | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Cabinet Member | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Cabinet Member |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
