Lori Chavez-DeRemer served as US Labor Secretary from early 2025 until her resignation on April 20, 2026, following allegations of misconduct and creating a toxic work environment [1, 2, 3, 4].

A Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (OIG) report accuses Chavez-DeRemer of drinking alcohol during work hours and storing alcohol on federal property. The report says she pressured staff to drink and ridiculed those who abstained [1, 2, 3, 4]. About 38 witnesses described the workplace as "toxic, intimidating and humiliating," with Chavez-DeRemer and two top aides, Chief of Staff Jihun Han and Deputy Chief of Staff Rebecca Wright, engaging in threatening and demeaning communication toward employees [1, 2, 3, 4].

Several senior staff resigned in the final months of her tenure amid these allegations [2]. Chavez-DeRemer also reportedly directed employees to perform personal tasks, such as organizing her bedroom closet and translating moving crew instructions [1, 3].

The investigation found she had an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security detail, an Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge [1, 2, 3, 4]. In 2025, during a personal trip to Oregon, she requested an off-the-record stop at a venue featuring partially nude dancers where cash was thrown at performers [1, 4].

The OIG report also alleges misuse of agency funds for personal travel, including at least 13 trips to places with family or personal residences and five trips to Las Vegas where lodging costs exceeded reimbursement limits [1].

The investigation reviewed between 38 and 53 interviews and examined hundreds of documents, with exact numbers varying between sources [1, 2]. The report spans 38 to 44 pages [1, 2, 3].

Chavez-DeRemer's attorney, Nick Oberheiden, denied any laws were broken. He called the report "untimely, moot, built around undisclosed individuals," and said Chavez-DeRemer "did not violate any law," contrasting this with what he described as "premature and incorrect speculation" [1, 3].

Chavez-DeRemer was the third cabinet secretary to resign from the Trump administration after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi [2].