The agency previously had accepted the resignation of the official, Leif Olson, after Bloomberg Law requested comment on the old sarcastic Facebook posts he had written.
But the Department of Labor said on Wednesday that after a "thorough reexamination of the available information and upon reflection," the agency had concluded that Olson "satisfactorily explained the tone of the content of his sarcastic social media posts."
The Facebook posts Olson had written in 2016 were dripping with sarcasm and aimed at mocking those who would employ anti-Semitic rhetoric.
But the sarcasm was apparently lost on Bloomberg Law. The outlet characterized Olson's posts in a Tuesday story as "anti-Semitic."
Bloomberg Law's story ignited an uproar among journalists and across the political spectrum. A spokesperson for Bloomberg Law, however, stood by the publication's reporting on Tuesday, pointing to the fact that Olson had resigned after the outlet requested comment.
The spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Wednesday after the Department of Labor said it had reinstated Olson.
Even before the department's announcement, Bloomberg Law's story showed signs of crumbling.
A representative for the Anti-Defamation League who was quoted in Bloomberg Law's story later walked back his comments. The representative said he appreciated the clarification that the Facebook posts were meant to be sarcastic and accepted the explanation.
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