Cheryl Stanton Nominated to Serve as Wage and Hour Administrator

President Trump has announced his intent to nominate Cheryl Stanton as the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour administrator.

Stanton, who currently serves as the executive director of the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW), held multiple White House roles under President George W. Bush, serving as the White House’s principal legal liaison to DOL, the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She has also spent 10 years at the management-side law firm Ogletree Deakins, which represents employers in labor and employment matters. Additionally, like Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, Stanton clerked for Justice Samuel Alito when he was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Given the recent decision issued by U.S. District Court Judge Amos Mazzant permanently blocking the Obama administration’s overtime rule and DOL’s Request for Information soliciting information on how best to revise the regulations, it is likely that Stanton’s first piece of business, if she is confirmed, will be oversight of that process.

While an intent to nominate is a promising step toward filling the many vacant political positions at DOL, it does not guarantee that the Senate will be able act on her confirmation in a timely manner — Deputy Labor Secretary nominee Patrick Pizzella, nominated on June 19, is still waiting to be voted on in committee, which means Stanton may not be confirmed for another month or two. Additionally, recent press reports regarding Stanton’s alleged failure to pay her house cleaners and controversies surrounding the unemployment benefits program run by SCDEW may complicate Stanton’s confirmation process.