‘Fortress Mentality’ Grips Trump Labor Agency as Critics Circle

In early 2018, members of the U.S. Department of Labor’s senior political staff arrived at work to discover their security codes to get into Secretary Alexander Acosta‘s executive suite no longer worked.

Around the same time, some Trump appointees lost access to Acosta’s electronic calendar.

Most political employees within DOL previously enjoyed unfettered entry to the expansive chambers. In fact, the door was often left ajar. But from that winter day forward, no more than perhaps seven people—primarily members of Acosta’s inner circle whose offices are inside the suite—knew the new code. Anyone else had to ask an assistant ...