Former U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-4th District) was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as inspector general of the Department of Labor on Dec. 18.
The former Hempstead Council Member and NYPD detective said he was honored by the confirmation in a recent social media post.
“I’ll work with career civilians and agents to enforce the law, root out fraud, waste, and abuse, and combat labor and human trafficking—protecting American workers and taxpayers,” he wrote. “Thank you, President Donald J. Trump, for your trust and leadership.”
The new position as the Department of Labor’s top watchdog was finalized after a nomination from Trump in March, with a 53-43 Senate vote. The Office of the Inspector General is responsible for conducting audits to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and integrity of all Department of Labor programs.
“The same qualities that made Anthony D’Esposito an outstanding elected official will serve him well at the U.S. Department of Labor,” said Joseph G. Cairo, Jr., chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee.
The office is non-political, according to the Department of Labor. The job has been vacant since President Trump’s Jan. removal of Larry Turner, and numerous other department inspectors general, which sparked controversy and litigation earlier this year.
D’Esposito, who hails from Island Park, was the representative for the 4th Congressional District on Long Island’s south shore from 2023 to 2025. His election unseated Democrat Laura Gillen, who successfully challenged him in the 2024 election and still occupies the seat.
There has been widespread speculation about him running another campaign to challenge the seat. D’Esposito did not indicate whether he would seek reelection in his October Senate hearing.
“The Nassau Republican Committee is in the process of considering several well-qualified individuals who wish to be the Republican candidate in NY-4. Mr. D’Esposito remains extremely well regarded by the Committee as it seeks the best candidate to win in the 4th Congressional District in 2026,” said Cairo.
Before his election to Congress, he served on the Hempstead Town Council from his appointment in 2016, followed by subsequent re-elections in 2017 and 2021. He vacated the office upon swearing in to the House of Representatives in 2023. Before his tenure as a town council member, he was the chief of the Island Park Fire Department.
