The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has agreed to review an ethics complaint alleging that former Long Island U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, of Island Park, engaged in partisan political activity while serving as the U.S. Department of Labor’s inspector general.
The independent federal agency notified Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington — a government watchdog organization that filed the complaint in April — that it had accepted the matter for review in a letter dated Oct. 14.
The complaint alleges that D’Esposito used the official social media account for his office to promote positions aligned with President Donald Trump’s administration, potentially violating the Hatch Act, a federal law restricting partisan political activity by government employees.
D’Esposito, a Republican who represented the 4th congressional district in Nassau County before losing his 2024 reelection bid to Democrat Laura Gillen, was appointed inspector general by Trump and sworn into the position in January.
D’Esposito dismissed the allegations in a statement.
“CREW’s political hacks keep wasting time peddling bogus nonsense. They won’t intimidate me,” D’Esposito said, referring to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
“I’ll keep exposing fraud and fighting for American workers,” he added.
The complaint sites social media posts and reposts from D’Esposito’s official account, @USLaborIG, concerning the administration’s immigration enforcement policies, military action in Iran and economic policies. The organization argues that the activity is inconsistent with the independence and political neutrality expected of an inspector general.
“While serving as inspector general, D’Esposito has blurred the lines between official duties and political activities,” the complaint states. “This behavior impairs his ability to be independent and reflects self-interest and bias incompatible with the role of an inspector general.”
The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s Integrity Committee conducted an initial review before referring the matter to the Office of Special Counsel. The council said it would take no further action in the matter itself.
CREW President and CEO Donald Sherman said Oct. 14 that the central question is whether D’Esposito violated the Hatch Act, which applies to most federal employees, including inspectors general.
The Office of Special Counsel investigates and prosecutes certain violations of federal law, including the Hatch Act. The agency has not commented on the matter at hand.
Inspectors general are responsible for identifying fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement within federal agencies. At the Labor Department, that work includes investigating labor racketeering, organized crime involving labor unions and violations involving child labor.
The complaint review comes as D’Esposito continues in a role intended to operate independently of political interests. Before taking the position, he served as a retired New York City police detective and a Republican member of Congress. He ultimately decided against pursuing a return to his former House seat.
The Office of Special Counsel’s acceptance of the matter for review does not establish that D’Esposito violated the law. The review will determine how the allegations should proceed.
