E-Paper
Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigns: What are the workplace misconduct allegations against Trump's ex-Labor Secretary?
Lori Chavez-DeRemer is resigning to take a private sector position. Her departure comes amid investigations into allegations of professional misconduct
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Donald Trump's labor secretary, is resigning, the Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung announced on Monday. Cheung wrote on social media, “Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector.”
Chavez-DeRemer's departure follows her involvement in a series of personal and political scandals. The department's inspector general is currently investigating the claims of professional misconduct against Chavez-DeRemer and her close associates.
According to MSNOW, at least three people have come forward with allegations describing troubling workplace dynamics within her office, including claims of intimidation, retaliation, and inappropriate use of staff for personal tasks.
Read more: Maria Machado in ‘permanent contact’ with Trump admin over return to Venezuela
Allegations of toxic workplace and retaliation
Two young female employees working with Chavez-DeRemer also filed Equal Employment Opportunity complaints, claiming that late last year, while they were employed at U.S. Department of Labor offices, Chavez-DeRemer's husband, Shawn DeRemer, touched them inappropriately.
The accusations paint a picture of an office environment marked by fear and retaliation. Sources cited in the MSNOW report allege that Chavez-DeRemer took adverse action against individuals who had reported concerns related to her husband’s alleged misconduct.
One of the allegations includes claims that staff members were instructed to carry out personal chores, such as organizing or cleaning a private clothing closet.
According to MSNOW, a source said at least one of the claimed instances was caught on office surveillance film and seemed to support some of the staff member's allegations.
Read more: Tim Cook is not retiring— Here's his new role at Apple
Husband Shawn DeRemer barred from department headquarters
Following the charges from the two female employees he had allegedly sexually assaulted, the secretary's husband, Shawn DeRemer, an anesthesiologist, was prohibited from entering the department's headquarters.
His attorney denied the allegations, arguing that they were part of an attempt to remove Chavez-DeRemer from her position. Prosecutors and police decided not to press charges.
Regarding the December 2025 charges of sexual misconduct, Chavez-DeRemer's husband was not charged by the DC US Attorney's Office in February.
According to The New York Post, the Federal Protective Service, a subagency of the Department of Homeland Security that looks into crimes inside government buildings, likewise decided not to pursue the matter.
