Keith E. Sonderling

Keith E. Sonderling (born November 25, 1982) is an American lawyer and government official. He has served as the United States Deputy Secretary of Labor since 2025, during President Donald Trump's second term, and also served as the Acting Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. From 2020 to 2024, he served as commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.^[2] From 2017 to 2020, he served as the deputy and acting administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor.^[3][4][5] Before government service, he was a shareholder at Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Born on November 25, 1982, in Manhattan, New York, Sonderling grew up in Boca Raton, Florida. Sonderling is Jewish and the grandchild of holocaust survivors.^[6] He graduated from Spanish River High School and attended the University of Florida. He received a Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, majoring in broadcast journalism. Sonderling then obtained his Juris Doctor., magna cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University.

Sonderling began his legal career at Gunster in West Palm Beach, Florida. At Gunster, he practiced labor and employment law and was elevated to shareholder in 2015. In 2012, Florida Governor Rick Scott appointed Sonderling to serve as a commissioner on the 4th District Court of Appeals judicial nominating commission.^[7] In 2016, his fellow commissioners elected him chair.^[8]

In September 2017, Sonderling joined the United States Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.^[9] In 2019, Sonderling served as the acting administrator of the Wage and Hour Division.^[10]

In 2019, Sonderling issued the department's first opinion letter on the gig economy, concluding that gig workers were independent contractors, not employees of a company, under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).^[11] This opinion was later withdrawn by the Biden administration in 2021, but reinstated in May 2025.^[12][13] Sonderling also issued proposed rules for marquee labor issues, such as updating the overtime threshold and joint employer standards under the FLSA.^[14][15]

Sonderling developed the Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID), the Agency's first comprehensive self-audit program.^[16] The program recovered $7 million in wages to 11,000 workers.^[17]

On July 3, 2019, President Trump nominated Sonderling to be a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for a term expiring July 1, 2024. On June 3, 2020, the Senate Health Education Labor and Pension Committee, by unanimous consent, favorably reported his nomination,^[18] and he was confirmed by the Senate in a 52–41 vote on September 22, 2020.^[19] He was also designated by the president to serve as vice chair of the commission.^[20] Sonderling left the commission at the expiration of his term on August 30, 2024.^[21]

During his tenure at the EEOC, Commissioner Sonderling's highest priority was ensuring that AI-informed employment technologies were designed and deployed in ways that comply with longstanding laws.^[22] Sonderling published numerous articles and spoke globally on the benefits and potential harms of using artificial intelligence-based technology in the workplace.^[23][24] Sonderling also focused on human capital management compliance, working with human resource leaders worldwide.^[25]

Sonderling also served as an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School, teaching employment discrimination.^[26]

On January 15, 2025, President-elect Trump announced his intention to nominate Sonderling as the United States Deputy Secretary of Labor.^[27] On March 6, the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee reported his nomination in a 12–11 vote.^[28] Sonderling was confirmed 53–46 by the United States Senate on March 12.^[29] As the United States Deputy Secretary of Labor, Sonderling is the second-highest-ranking official and oversees the day-to-day-operations of the department.^[30]

On March 18, 2025, President Trump designated Sonderling as the acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent government agency that is the primary source of federal funding for the nation's museums and libraries.^[31] At the time of his appointment Sonderling made a commitment to revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.^[32]

On March 18, 2025, President Trump designated Sonderling the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce, leading the Minority Business Development Authority (MDBA), an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that promotes growth and competitiveness of the United States' minority-owned businesses.^[33]

• Appearances on C-SPAN