NEW YORK (AP) — A report from the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General has found that former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer oversaw a work environment described as "toxic, intimidating and humiliating" and engaged in multiple violations of department policy. The report alleges that Chavez-DeRemer was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security detail and violated travel regulations by combining personal and official travel. Additionally, it accuses her of breaching the department's alcohol policies, directing staff to perform personal tasks during official time, and failing to report gifts through the proper channels.
The report includes allegations that senior staff berated employees publicly and made staffing decisions based on physical appearance rather than professional qualifications. One specific incident cited in the report claims that during a personal trip to Oregon, Chavez-DeRemer stopped at a strip club with partially nude dancers and instructed her limousine driver to give money to a performer.
The findings are based on interviews with 53 current and former Labor Department staffers, as well as one employee from another federal agency, and a review of over 500 documents, images, and videos. Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned earlier this year, did not respond to a request for comment sent to an email listed on her Facebook page.