A probe by the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Labor has found that Lori Chávez-DeRemer, who served as Labor Secretary during Donald Trump's second term, engaged in drinking alcohol during work hours, misappropriated public funds, and directed her staff to perform personal tasks for her.
The report, released by the Inspector General's Office on Thursday and widely circulated on Friday, paints a picture of a "toxic, intimidating, and demeaning" environment under Chávez-DeRemer's leadership, concluding that her actions "were inconsistent with applicable standards."
"Witnesses interviewed stated that Chávez-DeRemer, along with Han and Wright, regularly consumed alcohol in Chávez-DeRemer's office during official work hours. Witnesses reported that when other employees attending these gatherings refused alcohol, Chávez-DeRemer, Han, and Wright pressured them to join in or mocked them for abstaining," the document states.
Among the most notable incidents, the former official directed an assistant to use a government vehicle to travel to her home and "hang laundry, handle dry cleaning, and organize her clothes, shoes, and bags."
During a business trip, she also requested the same assistant to "purchase wine for her at her hotel," according to the inspector general's documentation.
Misuse of Official Travel
The report uncovered a pattern of private trips camouflaged as official business. Investigators determined that "official travel authorizations were used on multiple occasions to justify trips that also served personal interests."
One of the most detailed episodes involved a three-night stay at a luxury hotel and spa in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 2025, to attend a conservative gala at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. The room rate was $529 per night before taxes, and Chávez-DeRemer received a reimbursement exceeding $2,000 for that trip, far surpassing the federal limit allowed.
Undisclosed Gifts and Inappropriate Relationships
Gifts that were improperly declared include rodeo tickets from a lobbyist, an alligator-skin purse received in Springfield, Louisiana, and two cowboy hats given at an America First Policy Institute event in Palm Beach.
The report also indicates that the former secretary maintained an "inappropriately close" relationship with a supervisor on her security team, and that some of her staff, including her chief of staff, also engaged in improper conduct.
Chávez-DeRemer, the only Hispanic in Trump's cabinet during his second term, was confirmed by the Senate on March 10, 2025, with a significant bipartisan vote of 67 to 32.
Before her role as secretary, she represented Oregon's 5th Congressional District for a single term and was noted for being among the few Republicans to co-sponsor a bill facilitating worker unionization.
Her tenure at the department was marred by instability from the outset: the agency faced significant staff cuts as part of the federal restructuring driven by the Trump administration, and her husband, Shawn DeRemer, was banned from the department's headquarters following allegations of sexual assault, although the criminal investigation into that case was closed without charges.
Chávez-DeRemer resigned on April 20, 2026, amid the inspector general's investigation, after a little more than a year in office, to transition to the private sector.
A spokesperson for the Department of Labor simply stated that the agency "respects the integrity of the Inspector General's investigation." Following her departure, Keith Sonderling was appointed as the acting secretary.
Key Findings on Lori Chávez-DeRemer's Conduct
What were some of the personal tasks Chávez-DeRemer instructed her staff to do?
Chávez-DeRemer instructed her assistant to use a government vehicle to travel to her home for tasks like handling laundry, organizing clothes, and purchasing wine during a business trip.
How did Chávez-DeRemer misuse travel authorizations?
She engaged in a pattern of disguising personal trips as official business, using official travel authorizations to justify these trips, including a luxurious stay in Palm Beach for a conservative gala.
What gifts did Chávez-DeRemer fail to declare properly?
The gifts included rodeo tickets from a lobbyist, an alligator-skin purse, and cowboy hats, all of which were not properly declared.