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Ben Penn on Muck Rack

Ben Penn

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Washington, D.C.
As seen in: Bloomberg Law, MSN, Bloomberg News, Yahoo News New Zealand, Sydney Morning Herald, Tuzara Post Newsletter, The Boston Globe, The Japan Times, National Post, Spreaker, Yahoo and
Covers:  Labor, employment, especially Department of Labor
Senior reporter, Department of Justice @BLaw | @UMWallaceHouse alum | bpenn@bloomberglaw.com | Signal at benpenn.06

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Ben Penn’s Biography

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Ben is a labor and employment reporter at Bloomberg BNA. He covers the U.S. Department of Labor, including policy, regulation, litigation, and personnel shakeups. He also takes on longer-form enterprise coverage of workplace issues.

His reporting has been cited in Senate hearings, the New York Times editorial page, and on NPR.

In addition to covering regulatory agencies, he closely monitors workplace developments in Congress and the courts and their impact on employers and employees.

He co-auth…

Ben Penn’s Journalist Portfolio

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Labor Dept. Ditches Data Showing Bosses Could Skim Waiters' Tips

Labor Dept. Ditches Data Showing Bosses Could Skim Waiters' Tips

Labor Department leadership scrubbed an unfavorable internal analysis from a new tip pooling proposal, shield…

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Mulvaney, Acosta Override Regulatory Office to Hide Tips Rule Data (1) (1)

Mulvaney, Acosta Override Regulatory Office to Hide Tips Rule Data (1) (1)

Sources: DOL released rule to permit restaurant tip sharing over objections of regulatory chief Neomi Rao OMB…

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Bannon Ally Said to Be Weighed as Top DOL Diplomat

Bannon Ally Said to Be Weighed as Top DOL Diplomat

Curtis Ellis, a Trump adviser who accused Democrats of plotting the "liquidation of white, blue-collar workin…

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Workers Turn Down Back Pay, Said to Fear Deportation

Workers Turn Down Back Pay, Said to Fear Deportation

Some workers are declining back pay from the Labor Department because they fear being deported as part of Pre…

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Is Franchise Model a Recipe for Fast-Food Wage Violations?

Is Franchise Model a Recipe for Fast-Food Wage Violations?

The franchising structure itself contributes to fast-food restaurant violations, the official overseeing the …

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Trump's Labor Secretary Plays It Safe as Judgeship Talk Swirls

Trump's Labor Secretary Plays It Safe as Judgeship Talk Swirls

Buzz of Acosta's Judicial aspirations follows him to Labor Department Some believe secretary's deliberate sty…

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Articles

DOJ’s Internal Watchdog Walks Tightrope in Opening Memo to Staff

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By Ben Penn Verified
| Bloomberg Tax Verified
Don Berthiaume outlined plans for vigorous yet restrained Justice Department oversight shortly after his swearing-in as inspector general, highlighting the delicate balancing act he must perform as a Trump-era watchdog. Berthiaume’s memo to staff Friday subtly addressed what’s been a recurring criticism from former department officials and whistleblower lawyers about his office’s apparent unwillingness to tackle scandals involving President Donald Trump’s appointees.
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DOJ Memo on Outside Legal Advisers Strains Hill Oversight (2)

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By Ben Penn Verified, Caitlin Oprysko Verified, Justin Henry, Celine Castronuovo Verified
| Bloomberg Tax Verified
Donald Trump can gag his outside legal advisers from divulging their communications with the president to courts and Congress, according to a new Justice Department memo with significance for ongoing litigation and Capitol Hill probes. The department’s Office of Legal Counsel, in an opinion posted late Monday, informed the White House that the president has the authority to extend executive privilege to private attorneys directly counseling him on particular sensitive matters.
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Trump’s Outside Advisers Can Be Blocked from Testimony, DOJ Says

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By Ben Penn Verified
| Bloomberg Law Verified
Trump’s outside legal advisers can be gagged from divulging their presidential counsel to courts and Congress, according to a new Justice Department memo with significance for ongoing litigation and Capitol Hill probes. The department’s Office of Legal Counsel, in an opinion posted late Monday, informed the White House that the president has the authority to extend executive privilege to private attorneys directly counseling him on particular sensitive matters.
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