Federal Watchdog Report Details Misconduct and Toxic Workplace Under Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer

A federal watchdog in the United States has published a comprehensive report detailing serious allegations of misconduct involving former US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned in April. Released on Thursday night by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the 44-page document outlines numerous incidents where Chavez-DeRemer allegedly blurred the boundaries between her official public office and her personal life.

The findings are based on 500 documents and interviews with 53 current and former Labor Department employees, alongside one employee from another federal agency. According to the report, 38 of those interviewed characterized the secretary’s office as a toxic, intimidating, and humiliating workplace. The document accuses Chavez-DeRemer of utilizing government employees for private errands, consuming alcohol in her office during working hours, and developing an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security detail. These mounting rumors of misconduct ultimately led to her resignation on April 20, making her the third cabinet secretary to depart the second administration of President Donald Trump following the earlier exits of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Sworn in on March 11, 2025, Chavez-DeRemer served for just over a year before her tenure ended amidst high-level staff resignations. One former staff member, Melissa Robey, claimed she was forced out under pressure from the White House after meeting with the inspector general’s office. The report highlights a hostile environment fostered by senior staff who routinely engaged in threatening and demeaning communication, sometimes threatening employees with termination in front of colleagues. Specific incidents involved Chavez-DeRemer’s chief of staff, Rebecca Wright, who allegedly relocated an employee's desk to avoid having a heavier person seen in the front office and advised another employee against cutting her hair too short to prevent looking like a lesbian. The investigation concluded that Chavez-DeRemer was aware of these behaviors but failed to intervene.

Investigators also documented numerous instances where Chavez-DeRemer directed government staff to perform personal tasks on official time. A personal aide and an executive assistant were reportedly sent to her residence to organize her closet, manage laundry, and arrange clothing and purses. Another employee was directed to oversee workers at her home, including a moving crew, while staff members were frequently tasked with purchasing personal items such as gifts, picture frames, holiday decorations, and alcohol. Witnesses reported that Chavez-DeRemer, Wright, and a deputy chief of staff regularly consumed alcohol in the secretary’s study during working hours without the required written authorization under Department of Labor policies.

Further violations of government ethics standards involved Chavez-DeRemer's relationship with a senior agent on her protective detail. Witnesses observed her massaging the agent’s shoulder, participating in golf and gambling with him, and walking arm-in-arm at an event. Although investigators did not find sufficient evidence to classify the relationship as explicitly sexual, they noted that it created significant conflicts of interest. Notably, during an April 2025 personal trip to Oregon, Chavez-DeRemer requested an off-the-record stop at a club featuring partially nude dancers, where the involved agent instructed a limousine driver to comply with her requests to drop money onto performers. Electronic hotel door lock records and video footage further documented private overnight stays and visits.

Additionally, the report identified travel policy violations, such as stays at Palm Beach, Florida, hotels for an America First Policy Institute gala in November 2025 that exceeded three times the standard government reimbursement rate without proper approval. Chavez-DeRemer also failed to report several gifts, including rodeo tickets, an alligator-hide wallet, and cowboy hats. In response to these findings, the watchdog recommended structural reforms, including removing protective units from the secretary's direct oversight, implementing independent travel audits, and enhancing whistleblower protections. Following her resignation, Chavez-DeRemer accepted a senior adviser position at Think Big, a public affairs firm where she heads a practice focused on labor and national infrastructure.