Lori Chavez-DeRemer is out as labor secretary after a cascade of misconduct allegations that painted an increasingly chaotic picture inside the department.
The Trump administration announced her departure Monday through a statement by spokesperson Steven Cheung, who credited Chavez-DeRemer with protecting workers and advancing labor practices, though he made no mention of the controversies that led to her exit.
Chavez-DeRemer herself posted on social media that serving in the administration was "an honor and a privilege," while confirming she would move to the private sector. She becomes the third female cabinet member to leave during Trump's second term, joining homeland security secretary Kristi Noem and attorney general Pam Bondi.
The labor department's inspector general investigation into Chavez-DeRemer covered serious ground. She faced allegations of having an affair with a subordinate on her security detail, keeping alcohol stashed in her office, and misusing government resources for personal travel. Her staff was separately accused of directing federal grants toward politically connected recipients.
Additional scrutiny centered on patterns of inappropriate messaging. Chavez-DeRemer, her top aides, and her own family members routinely sent personal messages and requests to younger staff members, according to reporting in the New York Times. Her husband and father were among those involved in the exchanges with young female employees.
Shawn DeRemer, her husband and an anesthesiologist, was barred from the Labor Department headquarters after at least two female staff members accused him of sexual assault. The women reported that he touched them inappropriately at the department's Constitution Avenue building. His lawyer dismissed the claims as part of an effort to force his wife from office. Neither police nor prosecutors pursued charges, but the inspector general's investigation was believed to be nearing completion as at least four department officials were removed from their positions.
Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said Monday that Chavez-DeRemer "demonstrated a lot of wisdom in resigning."
Keith Sonderling will serve as acting labor secretary going forward.
Chavez-DeRemer, a former one-term Republican congresswoman from Oregon, arrived at the Labor Department with unusual union backing. The daughter of a Teamsters member, she had won support from labor organizations in her district before losing her reelection campaign in 2024. When Trump nominated her, unions welcomed the choice as a potential check on his second-term agenda. The Senate confirmed her 67-32 in March last year, with more than a dozen Democrats crossing party lines to support her.
Her actual record proved contentious. The department cancelled millions in international grants aimed at combating child and slave labor, reversing work that had helped reduce child labor globally by 78 million over two decades. The administration also moved to rewrite or repeal more than 60 workplace regulations, rolling back minimum wage requirements for home care workers and people with disabilities, alongside rules governing exposure to hazardous substances and safety procedures at mines. The proposals included eliminating requirements for adequate lighting at construction sites and seat belts in employer-provided vehicles for agricultural workers. Union leaders and workplace safety experts condemned the effort.
Author James Rodriguez: "Her union-friendly nomination masked an agenda that gutted worker protections and international labor standards, then she couldn't keep her own house in order."
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