Brad Campbell Comments on Potential DOGE Review, Staff-Reductions for Department of Labor

Benefits and executive compensation partner Brad Campbell spoke to Pensions & Investments about the potential impact of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on executive agencies like the Department of Labor (DOL).

The publication noted that DOGE, which is aimed at “reducing the size and scope of government,” will likely turn its sights to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and DOL in the form of staff reductions and other major changes. For example, the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). Campbell, a former EBSA chief, said that changes could be a positive for the agency.

While staff reductions could mean a short-term disruption, Campbell noted that “we just don’t have a good model to predict the long-term effects, because we haven’t… seen anyone try something in this magnitude.”

Campbell pointed out that “a review of its enforcement” and other functions could be a positive, noting that, in 2024, the EBSA closed 729 civil investigations, down from 3,928 in 2014. Campbell predicted that the EBSA is not an agency that would be slated for complete removal or overhaul.