The Tangled History Of Trump’s Pick For Labor Chief

There is nothing simple about the resume of President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder, and his confirmation hearing promises to be contentious. In 1983, not long out of law school, he was working at a St. Louis law firm owned, according to an article in the New York Times, “by a famous mob lawyer and casino owner whom the Labor Department accused of squandering $25 million from his union workers’ pension funds on sham investments.” Puzder led the defense, “which he framed in aggressively antigovernment terms.” He has remained consistent in that respect up to and into his current position, heading the fast food chains Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s. Progressive groups and unions have roundly criticized his appointment, pointing to among other things numerous employment lawsuits filed against his company, but according to an article in the Washington Times, he and his supporters recently “came back swinging.” A survey by a pro-business group, according to that article, found that 92 percent of workers at Puzder’s restaurant’s considered them “a great place to work,” and interviews suggest he has an eye for talented employees whom he can promote to management.