4 Things To Know About Alexander Acosta, Trump's New Pick For Labor Secretary

The Trump administration appears to be standing on a sticky wicket, as controversies, one after another, rock it. On Wednesday, Trump's nominee for the post of the Labor Secretary Andrew Puzder threw in his towel for reasons more than one. The new nominee for the post is Alexander Acosta, who is the dean of Florida International University College of Law and chairman of the Century Bank.

Multiple Issues Came To Haunt Puzder

Puzder, the CEO of privately-held CKE Restaurants, did not enjoy the support of the liberals and the conservatives alike. He was notorious for his antagonistic stance toward labor regulations. Aptly, there was opposition to his appointment to a post, which would have vested him with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of laws that protect workers.

The revelation that he had abused his ex-wife and that she had appeared in disguise in the Oprah Winfrey show in 1990 to discuss the allegations also dented his chances of his confirmation. Then, there was the issue about him employing an undocumented worker in his household, an action that put him at odds with the Trump promise of cracking down on undocumented workers.

Acosta's Shot At Helming The Labor Department

With the Puzder episode now behind, as we move forward, the spotlight is on Acosta, who would now have to go through confirmation hearing. Here are four things you might want to know about the new Labor Secretary nominee:

1. Ironically, Acosta is the son of Cuban immigrants, a class of people Trump has come to vehemently oppose. Having graduated from the Harvard College and doing his law degree from the Harvard Law School, he rose in rank from a law clerk to a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
2. In what could aid him, if he succeeds in getting confirmed, Acosta worked at the Washington, D.C., office of law firm Kirkland and Ellis, where he specialized in employment and labor issues. He also taught employment law, among other subjects, at the George Mason University School of Law.
3. In late 2013, Acosta became the chairman of the U.S. Century Bank, the largest domestically-owned Hispanic community bank in Florida.
4. His previous public offices, include being the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice under the Bush regime in 2003. His responsibilities included enforcing federal civil rights statutes. Ahead of it, Acosta served as a Member of the National Labor Relations Board, an independent federal agency responsible for administering and interpreting the National Labor Relations Act. He had also served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division.

The credentials would make it hard for even the rival Democrats to oppose his candidature. His long stint in public offices should serve to quell fears concerning the Trump team being dominated by people with corporate connections. The entry of Acosta, thus, should augur well for the Trump administration.