Catherwood LibraryILR School

Reversing the stance taken in a case on appeal to a federal administrative review board by his controversial predecessor Eugene Scalia (see WIT for Oct. 25, 2002), the U.S. Labor Department's Acting Solicitor last Friday wrote to the Senate cosponsors of whistle-blower protection legislation passed in July 2002 (see WIT for July, 30, 2002) making clear his department's support of their intent in passing the law. At issue is an attempt by the Justice Department to severely restrict the right of federal employees to take their concerns of governmental corruption to members of Congress, which was blocked by an administrative law judge whose decision in favor of the employee prompted a filing by Mr. Scalia in support of the Justice Department. Mr. Scalia---whose appointment by President Bush as the country's top prosecutor of labor law violations was strongly opposed by the labor movement and Democrats (see WIT for Oct. 3, 2001)---resigned his position as solicitor last month to return to private practice as a management-side labor lawyer.