On Monday, April 20, US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned from her position, becoming the third cabinet member to leave the Trump administration this year. Earlier, Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, was dismissed in March, followed by Attorney General Pam Bondi in April. According to New York Post, Chavez-DeRemer’s resignation comes amid an extensive investigation by the Department of Labor’s Inspector General.
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said Chavez-DeRemer is leaving the administration to take a position in the private sector. Her deputy, Keith Sonderling, will serve as acting Labor Secretary.
The allegations against Chavez-DeRemer are extensive. A whistleblower complaint first reported in January alleged that she consumed alcohol during office hours, maintained an inappropriate relationship with her security guard, Brian Sloan, and fostered a hostile work environment among senior staff. The complaint also accused her of using her chief of
staff, Jihoon Han, and deputy Rebecca Wright to disguise personal trips with family and friends as official government travel—raising concerns of potential travel fraud.
As the investigation expanded, more serious claims emerged. Investigators reportedly found a stockpile of alcohol in the secretary’s office, and testimony indicated that she took staff members to a strip club in Oregon. It was also alleged that she invited her security guard to her Washington apartment and brought him to the Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas during last October’s government shutdown, using taxpayer funds under the pretext of celebrating her niece’s 40th birthday. Text messages reportedly show that Chavez-DeRemer and Wright pressured junior staff to purchase alcohol during official trips. Employees described her as a “boss from hell,” alleging she frequently assigned them personal errands.
Allegations also surfaced against her husband, Dr. Sean DeRemer, involving sexual misconduct with female staff members. However, prosecutors in Washington, DC declined to pursue charges in February. He remains barred from entering the department’s headquarters, and the complaint has been refiled with the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission.
Several key staff members have already resigned under the pressure of the investigation. Jihoon Han stepped down on March 3, Brian Sloan on March 19, and a fourth aide, Melissa Rabi, on March 25. Sources claim Han instructed staff not to question the secretary’s relationship with her bodyguard, while Wright privately criticized President Donald Trump
and told staff that White House directives were irrelevant.
The investigation is also being reviewed separately by Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito is expected to conclude the probe in the coming weeks.
Throughout the investigation, Trump and the White House publicly supported Chavez-DeRemer, dismissing the allegations as baseless. However, with the departure of a third cabinet member, concerns over instability within the administration have grown more pronounced.
