Lori Chavez-DeRemer stepped down Monday as labor secretary, just days before she was set to testify at what was anticipated to be a bruising congressional hearing where Democrats intended to grill her about mounting scandals that engulfed her department.
Her 13-month run at the helm of the Labor Department was marred by an expanding inspector general probe, claims she engaged in an affair with a member of her security team, charges that senior staff committed travel fraud, and sexual assault accusations against her husband that allegedly took place within department offices.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung announced the departure, stating Chavez-DeRemer would “be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector” and that Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling would serve as acting labor secretary. Writing on X, Cheung commended her performance, saying she had done “a phenomenal job” protecting American workers.
Through her attorney Nick Oberheiden, Chavez-DeRemer maintained the resignation “is not the result of legal wrongdoings. It is a personal decision.” She posted on social media thanking Trump and declaring it had “been an honor and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration.”
However, in another statement, she lashed out at critics, asserting the allegations against her “have been peddled by high-ranked deep state actors who have been coordinating with the one-sided news media.”
The controversy began in January 2026 when the New York Post first reported on a whistleblower complaint targeting Chavez-DeRemer. The complaint alleged she consumed alcohol at work during office hours, created a hostile work environment, and was engaged in an extramarital relationship with a member of her security detail. The security guard was placed on leave in January and later resigned.
The same complaint accused senior aides Jihun Han and Rebecca Wright of fabricating official business trips to locations where the secretary wanted to spend personal time, a practice described as “travel fraud.” Media reports indicated Chavez-DeRemer had expressed interest in attending a UFC fight in Chicago, a Morgan Wallen concert, and visiting friends and family across the country, and reportedly asked staff to design work-related travel around those personal activities. Both officials were placed on administrative leave in January and resigned in early March.
A third senior staffer, Melissa Robey, stated in late March that she was fired shortly after giving a four-hour interview to the Office of the Inspector General.
Additional trouble surfaced in February when news emerged that Shawn DeRemer, Chavez-DeRemer’s husband and a Portland, Oregon, anesthesiologist, had been barred from Labor Department headquarters in Washington, D.C. Two women employed at the agency accused him of sexual assault involving unwanted physical contact. A D.C. Metropolitan Police Department report documented one female employee reporting “sexual contact against her will” that allegedly occurred on Dec. 18 inside the department facility.
Washington, D.C., police and federal prosecutors investigated but closed the case without bringing charges. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro stated “based upon the evidence presented to this office in relation to the video, there is no indication of a crime.” Shawn DeRemer’s attorney said he “categorically denies every allegation.” The accusations were subsequently re-filed at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alongside workplace complaints.
Chavez-DeRemer’s appointment to the Cabinet represented an unconventional choice for a Republican administration. After losing her November 2024 reelection campaign representing Oregon’s 5th District in Congress, she secured the Labor Department position mainly through advocacy by Teamsters President Sean O’Brien. O’Brien delivered a prime-time speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention and pushed for her selection because she was one of the few Republicans backing the PRO Act, legislation designed to facilitate union organization.
The Senate confirmed her in March 2025, making her Oregon’s first Cabinet secretary since Neil Goldschmidt served under President Jimmy Carter. She was 58 at the time of her resignation.
She becomes the third Cabinet member to exit during President Donald Trump’s second term, and the third consecutive woman to leave the administration’s top ranks.
Acting Secretary Keith Sonderling, who had been managing most of the department’s daily functions while Chavez-DeRemer traveled on a 50-state “America at Work” listening tour, is being eyed as a potential permanent nominee. He brings nearly a decade of policy experience at the Department of Labor and the EEOC.
Securing Senate confirmation for any nominee presents challenges. Whoever Trump selects must clear the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, with the November midterms approaching. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., provided a candid assessment of the departing secretary: “She demonstrated a lot of wisdom in resigning.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, was less diplomatic. Chavez-DeRemer’s tenure, she declared, represented “a failure of leadership.”
