Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer Resigns Amid Misconduct Investigation
U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned Monday after months of allegations including an affair with a subordinate, inappropriate behavior, and abuse of power. She is the third Trump Cabinet secretary to leave in his second term, all women.
Cabinet Secretary Exits Administration
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has resigned from her position to move into a private sector job, White House communications director Steven Cheung announced Monday. Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling will serve as acting secretary of labor.
Scandal-Plagued Tenure
Chavez-DeRemer's departure follows a tenure marked by sensational allegations that she had an affair with a security staffer and that her husband sexually assaulted her employees. The Labor Department's inspector general launched an investigation into Chavez-DeRemer earlier this year after it was alleged she misused taxpayer dollars to fund personal travel, with whistleblowers claiming she had staff fabricate official visits to places she wanted to go.
Additional Allegations
Complaints also claim there is a "stash" of alcohol in her office and that Chavez-DeRemer frequently drank during regular work hours, and she was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security detail.
Third Female Cabinet Secretary Ousted
Chavez-DeRemer is the third Cabinet secretary to leave in Trump's second term, following the firings of former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.