US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is facing an internal investigation after a formal complaint accused her of misconduct, including abusing her position, misusing taxpayer-funded travel, drinking on the job, and engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.
According to a report by The New York Post, the complaint was filed last week with the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General. It alleges that Chavez-DeRemer repeatedly met a subordinate at her Washington, DC apartment and in hotel rooms during official travel. The filing also claims she instructed her security detail on one occasion that she did not require protection.
The complaint further alleges that the secretary consumed alcohol during work hours and kept bottles of champagne, bourbon, and Kahlua in her office. It also accuses her of travel fraud, claiming staff were directed to plan official trips that allowed her to spend time with family and friends. Sources cited in the report described her as a difficult manager who allegedly asked aides to carry out personal errands during work hours.
A separate allegation cited in the report claims that Chavez-DeRemer and members of her staff visited Angels PDX, a strip club outside Portland, during an official trip to Oregon on April 18 last year. Travel vouchers reviewed by the Post show the five-day trip cost US taxpayers $2,890.06, including expenses for transportation, lodging, meals, and miscellaneous costs.
An inquiry by the department’s inspector general reportedly found evidence supporting the strip club visit during the Oregon trip, which also included meetings with Governor Tina Kotek, discussions with a truck manufacturing executive, and a tour of an Intel chip plant.
“Secretary Chavez-DeRemer firmly denies any allegations of wrongdoing,” her lawyer, Dr Nick Oberheiden, said. “Her utmost priority remains to advance President Trump’s agenda by continuing her hard and successful work for the betterment of the American people.”
The Department of Labor has confirmed that several staff members who previously worked closely with the secretary, including her chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, were placed on temporary administrative leave, a move officials said does not imply wrongdoing.
The White House acknowledged the investigation, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that President Donald Trump remains supportive of the labour secretary. “He’s aware of the internal investigation, and he stands by the secretary, and he thinks that she’s doing a tremendous job at the Department of Labor on behalf of American workers.”
Chavez-DeRemer’s husband, Dr Shawn DeRemer, dismissed allegations of an affair, saying, “There’s not an ounce of truth to this, and anyone who knows my wife would know that.”
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