LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The #MeToo movement has created an atmosphere of zero tolerance for any claims of sexual harassment involving prominent men in entertainment, the media, business and Congress — but so far it seems that rule doesn’t apply in the Trump administration.
Latest case in point: The White House is considering finding a role for Andrew Puzder, President Donald Trump’s first pick for labor secretary, who withdrew his nomination in February after old allegations of domestic abuse resurfaced, according to three people familiar with the discussions.
It’s not clear what role Puzder might take in the administration, these people said, though it would have to be a non-Senate-confirmed slot given his withdrawal as labor secretary. Puzder, who denied the abuse allegations made by his ex-wife in a 1990 appearance on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ also acknowledged employing an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper before dropping out.
His withdrawal, one of the first personnel missteps for the young administration, was especially sensitive because of harassment allegations that Trump faced during the campaign — most infamously the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape in which he was heard bragging about groping women.
Since Puzder stepped back from his nomination, reports that film mogul Harvey Weinstein systematically abused young actresses have unleashed a wave of revelations about predatory behavior by prominent men in many industries, costing many their careers.
But the White House still doesn’t appear to view Puzder’s past as a deal-breaker, even in this newly hyperaware environment.”
-Nancy Cook, “Puzder resurfaces in Trump’s White House in spite of #MeToo movement,” Politico, Jan. 8, 2018 08:16pm