South Michigan News

The Department of Labor's Inspector General has initiated an audit of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the Wage and Hour Division, and the Office of the Solicitor. This action follows a request from Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg. The inquiry aims to determine if EBSA employees under the Biden-Harris administration provided sensitive information to plaintiffs' attorneys, potentially influencing court cases against employers.

Chairman Walberg expressed his support for the investigation, stating, “Following the Committee’s oversight, the IG is investigating the extent to which the Biden-Harris EBSA, WHD, and SOL shared confidential information with plaintiffs’ attorneys.” He further commented on the potential implications of these allegations: “If these allegations are true, they would demonstrate unacceptable bureaucratic abuse during the Biden-Harris administration. DOL and its agencies have an immense duty to protect its confidential information, to encourage voluntary cooperation, and to ensure court proceedings are balanced."

The findings from this audit will be significant for both current practices at DOL and future legislative considerations by Walberg's committee. As he noted, "The findings of this audit will be critical to the Trump administration as it reforms DOL practices and to this Committee as it considers federal legislation to ensure this blatant abuse of the law ends.”