WASHINGTON — Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned from her position on Monday amid a watchdog misconduct probe, making her the third cabinet official to depart the Trump administration this year, sources told The Post.
Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling is expected to replace her as acting secretary of the Department of Labor, sources noted.
Chavez-DeRemer, 58, will follow four other staffers who were all investigated and resigned amid the Office of Inspector General’s sprawling investigation. NOTUS first reported on the secretary’s exit.
White House spokesman Steven Cheung announced minutes after the report that Chavez-DeRemer “will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector.”
“She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives,” Cheung posted on X.
The Post first exposed a whistleblower complaint filed against the labor secretary in January that alleged she drank in the office during work hours, created a hostile work environment with her top aides and was pursuing an extramarital affair with her security guard.
The complaint also claimed she committed “travel fraud” by having those aides — chief of staff Jihun Han and deputy Rebecca Wright — “make up” official trips to destinations where she could spend time with family or friends on the taxpayers’ dime.
“While she continues to strongly dispute the allegations that have been raised, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer believes it is in the best interest of the country to allow the administration to remain fully focused on delivering results for the American people,” said her personal attorney Nick Oberheiden in a statement.
“She is grateful for the opportunity to serve and remains committed to supporting the President’s agenda moving forward.”
White House and DOL reps said that the allegations were “baseless” and “categorically false” when first reported Jan. 9.
The probe broadened over the next three months with dozens of interviews of staff, as IG investigators gathered evidence of an alcohol “stash” in the secretary’s office and that she took subordinates to an Oregon strip club.
The initial reports prompted a parallel probe by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
Her husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, was also accused by female staffers of sexual assault, but prosecutors declined to bring charges in late February for the alleged incidents inside DOL headquarters in Washington, DC.
DeRemer’s attorney James Bell said his client “categorically, unequivocally, and emphatically denies each and every one of the allegations.” He was still barred from entering department headquarters at the time of his wife’s resignation.
Han and Wright resigned under pressure from the White House on March 3. The bodyguard, Brian Sloan, resigned on March 19. A fourth aide, Melissa Robey, left the department on March 25.
Reps for the Department of Labor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March, and Attorney General Pam Bondi the following month.
