Former Rep. Anthony D'Esposito confirmed to become top internal watchdog at U.S. Department of Labor

The Senate has confirmed former Long Island GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito to be the U.S. Department of Labor’s top internal watchdog.

His nomination was approved Thursday night as part of a package of more than 85 of President Donald Trump's picks for various administration posts. D’Esposito, 43, has often expressed his loyalty to Trump and was nominated by the president to the Labor Department Inspector General job in March.

But D'Esposito has not said whether he intends to stay in this new job or campaign next year for his former House seat. Nassau Republican Chair Joseph Cairo said in a statement Thursday night the county committee is considering possible nominees and D'Esposito remains "extremely well regarded."

The one-term congressman lost his seat in November 2024, when he was defeated by Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre). Two years earlier, the former NYPD officer and Hempstead Town council member won a first go-round against Gillen in what was then an open-seat race for New York’s 4th Congressional District.

The Labor IG's position opened up after Trump in late January fired at least 17 inspectors general from a range of federal departments. Those firings raised concerns by some good-government groups and others about IG autonomy under the Trump administration.

D’Esposito, during a Senate hearing in June, assured he would serve as an inspector general "without fear or favor."

In a statement Thursday night, he thanked Trump for the appointment. "I’ll work shoulder-to-shoulder with career civilians and agents to root out fraud, waste, and abuse, combat labor and human trafficking, and enforce the law without fear or favor," he said.

Broad mission

The IG roles were created as independent offices within agencies designed to protect taxpayer money and root out corruption, fraud, waste and mismanagement.

At the Labor Department, IGs have investigated a wide swath of activities and issued reports, including a recent focus on pandemic-era unemployment insurance fraud and the Wage and Hour Division’s efforts to protect child laborers.

The Labor IG also conducts criminal investigations to combat the influence of labor racketeering and organized crime in the nation’s labor unions, and works with other law enforcement partners on human trafficking matters.

The office now also is implementing the Trump administration’s demands for scrutiny of how the Bureau of Labor Statistics collects and reports employment data, amid Trump criticism.

D’Esposito could also carry out requests for investigations from members of Congress.

Overall, the office includes more than 300 criminal investigators, auditors, attorneys and other subject-matter experts. It has an annual budget of about $97 million.

Past controversy

Critics have noted that D'Esposito's nomination to the IG job followed accusations of his own ethical breaches, including when The New York Times in 2024 reported that he allegedly hired his fiancee’s daughter and another woman he was having an affair with. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) earlier this month referred to those accusations in criticizing Republicans for moving ahead with confirmations of what he called "unqualified" Trump nominees — singling out D'Esposito as among them.

"Someone who faced misconduct allegations and put his mistress on payroll is now the watchdog of the Department of Labor? Give me a break," Schumer said, in remarks on the Senate floor.

But while D'Esposito only now officially takes his new administration job, speculation continues over whether he will seek a rubber match next year against Gillen, in a potential third square-off for the congressional seat he once held.

D'Esposito himself declined when asked by Newsday in October to rule out a potential run in 2026 for his old seat if confirmed to his new Labor Department job. He later in October also refused to rule that out when pressed about the possibility during a public hearing before a Senate committee.

Continued sparring

Meantime, D’Esposito has continued to respond and react to Gillen's statements and activities on social media and elsewhere.

On Thursday night, Gillen decried D'Esposito's appointment. "He is completely unqualified for this position; today’s confirmation falls far short of what the American people deserve from their public officials," she said in a statement.

The previous Labor Department inspector general was Larry Turner. His tenure dated from Trump’s first term in the White House, lasting through the administration of former Democratic President Joe Biden, until January, when he was fired with 16 other inspectors general.