Scoop: Top aide to Labor Secretary to depart after clash with White House

[brooklynite]

Source: Axios

Nick Geale, the top aide to Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, is leaving the Trump administration after a clash with White House officials who regarded him as personally difficult and an impediment to President Trump's deregulatory agenda, according to sources with direct knowledge.

Behind the scenes: Senior White House officials — especially within the Domestic Policy Council — have made it clear to Acosta that they're frustrated that, in their view, the Labor Department hasn't been moving quickly or aggressively enough on deregulation. And some have pointed to Geale as the problem. The White House also separately lodged a complaint about Geale.

A source who is close to the president and has direct knowledge of the situation told me: "The pace of change has not been sufficient. [Acosta] tends to be fairly fearful of taking hardline positions. He tends to be solicitous of the unions, often making the argument that that's what the president wants."

"The only question in my mind is, is it Nick Geale that's the problem? Or is he just doing his boss's bidding? It's not clear to me that Nick is the only problem. You take your cues from the top."

Read more: https://www.axios.com/labor-secretary-alex-acosta-top-aide-clash-6f17fe53-a68c-4ba7-91f0-79b22c32c6ff.html

[dameatball]

1. So "personally difficult" translates to not being blindly obedient.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Hon. Nicholas Geale Chief of Staff and Acting Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor

HOME > CONTRIBUTORS > NICHOLAS GEALE

Hon. Nicholas Geale
Chief of Staff and Acting Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor

On February 17, 2017, President Trump appointed Nicholas C. Geale as Deputy Solicitor of Labor, and he became Acting Solicitor of Labor in accordance with federal law. Mr. Geale also serves as the Chief of Staff for Secretary Acosta at the Department of Labor, effective August 20, 2017.

Mr. Geale previously served as a member of the National Mediation Board, which he joined in August 2013. Immediately prior to joining the National Mediation Board, Mr. Geale served as the Director of Oversight and Investigations for Ranking Member Lamar Alexander on the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Before becoming Director of Oversight, Mr. Geale served as Oversight and Investigations Counsel on the Committee for Ranking Member Michael B. Enzi. Mr. Geale also served at the U.S. Department of Labor from 2006-2009, as an attorney in the Office of the Solicitor and as Counselor to the Deputy Secretary of Labor.

Prior to federal service, Mr. Geale had six years of experience in labor and employment matters, general commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution in private and public practice, including serving as Assistant General Counsel for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Mr. Geale graduated from Georgetown Law in 1999 and Claremont McKenna College in 1996.

[not fooled]

3. "Deregulation" of labor?

Sounds like the plan is to scrap worker safety and wage protection standards to enable red don's oligarch backers to loot apace.