Investigation Reveals Allegations Against Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer

<p>Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is alleged to have had an inappropriate relationship with her bodyguard and created a hostile work environment for her subordinates, according to a report from the Department of Labor's (DOL's) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released on Thursday.</p><p>The report cites an incident where Chavez-DeRemer allegedly instructed a member of her security detail to throw cash at a stripper.</p><p>Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned her position in April, was under investigation following an anonymous complaint received by the OIG in January. The complaint alleged an inappropriate relationship with the assistant special agent-in-charge (ASAIC) of her department's Division of Protective Operations (DPO), who was not named in the report.</p><p>The complaint also claimed that Chavez-DeRemer, her chief of staff, Jihun Han, and deputy chief of staff, Rebecca Wright, fostered a hostile work environment and consumed alcohol on DOL property during work hours.</p><p>The OIG interviewed 38 witnesses who described the DOL work environment as "toxic, intimidating and humiliating." Witnesses reported that Chavez-DeRemer, Han, and Wright "openly discussed employee performance matters in the presence of other staff, including details of performance-related meetings and whether those employees had cried during the meetings."</p><p>Witnesses indicated that Chavez-DeRemer's relationship with the ASAIC contributed to the hostile work environment.</p><p>During an April trip to Oregon, the ASAIC complied with Chavez-DeRemer's request to make an unplanned stop at an establishment featuring partially nude dancers. The ASAIC assigned Chavez-DeRemer's driver to enter the establishment with her, where she allegedly handed him cash to give to one of the dancers. When the driver refused, the ASAIC instructed him to comply.</p><p>The report states, "Chavez-DeRemer then took additional money from her purse and asked the agent to drop the bills one by one onto the partially nude woman. The agent again hesitated and sought intervention from ASAIC 1, who told him to follow Chavez-DeRemer's instructions."</p><p>The investigation determined that the ASAIC's relationship with Chavez-DeRemer, who is married, affected his job performance. The report noted that the ASAIC focused on his interactions with her, monitored her interactions with other agents, and reduced the presence of other DPO personnel to create opportunities to be alone with her, resulting in decreased protective coverage for the Secretary.</p><p>Witnesses reported that the pair quickly grew close upon Chavez-DeRemer's arrival at the department in March 2025, frequently communicating through the encrypted messaging app Signal about non-operational subjects during off-duty hours.</p><p>Another witness described seeing Chavez-DeRemer massaging the ASAIC's shoulders in a vehicle after his driving shift. When she asked if he was tired, he reportedly responded that he was "solid as a rock," which the witness interpreted as sexual innuendo.</p><p>Witnesses also described the pair walking arm in arm after leaving an event at Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins' home. Following the initiation of the investigation, the OIG surveilled Chavez-DeRemer's Washington, D.C., residence and observed the ASAIC entering through a back door on multiple occasions.</p><p>After reports that the ASAIC was violating chain-of-command protocol by attending meetings with Chavez-DeRemer's chief of staff and deputy chief of staff without his Special Agent in Charge's (SAIC) knowledge, the SAIC recommended he take a leave of absence. However, she did not escalate this recommendation due to concerns about her own job security.</p><p>The ASAIC declined the suggestion to take leave and agreed that the SAIC's actions to limit his travel with Chavez-DeRemer could lead to her removal.</p><p>When the SAIC informed the ASAIC via text that she would reassign him to another team, he replied, "lol. Don't do that."</p><p>The ASAIC was placed on paid administrative leave in January and subsequently on unpaid investigative leave in February. He resigned in March, according to the report.</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Labor, the department's OIG, and the White House for additional comments.</p>