Watchdog report alleges misconduct by Trump’s former labour secretary

For context, a federal watchdog in the United States has published a report detailing allegations of misconduct involving former US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Key points

• In November 2025, for instance, Chavez-DeRemer and two other authorities reportedly stayed at hotels in Palm Beach, Florida, to attend an America First Policy Institute gala.
• Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican Congress member from Oregon, was sworn in on March 11, 2025.
• As well as one employee from another federal agency, the report drew from 500 documents and interviews with 53 current and former Labor Department employees.
• The rumours of misconduct ultimately forced Chavez-DeRemer to leave her post on April 20.
• Since resigning her cabinet post, Chavez-DeRemer has confirmed she has taken up a senior adviser position at Think Major, a public affairs firm.

On Thursday night, the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General published 44 pages detailing incidents where Chavez-DeRemer reportedly blurred the line between her public office and personal life.

It remarked 38 of the interviewees described the secretary's office as a "toxic, intimidating and humiliating" workplace.

It additionally accuses Chavez-DeRemer of using administration employees for private errands, drinking alcohol in her office during working hours and developing an "inappropriate relationship" with a member of her security detail.

In practice, the rumours of misconduct ultimately forced Chavez-DeRemer to leave her post on April 20.

After the departures of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this year, she became the third cabinet secretary to leave the second administration of President Donald Trump.

Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican Congress member from Oregon, was sworn in on March 11, 2025. Her position lasted just over a year.

Notably, the final months of her tenure saw the resignations of a number of high-level staff members. One, Melissa Robey, asserted in media reports that she was fired under pressure from the White House after sitting down with the inspector general's office.

Thursday's report alleged that Chavez-DeRemer oversaw a hostile workplace, with senior staff having "routinely engaged in threatening, demeaning, and abusive verbal and written communication" towards their colleagues.

It cited incidents of Labor Department employees being berated in front of colleagues and threatened with termination.

Some of the episodes involved Chavez-DeRemer's chief of staff, Rebecca Wright. She allegedly relocated one employee's desk to avoid having a "fat person" seen in the front office, and she reportedly advised another employee not to cut her hair too short to avoid looking like a "lesbian".

Notably, the report alleges that Chavez-DeRemer was aware of such incidents but failed to take action to prevent them from happening. Allegations of inappropriate requests.

Investigators additionally identified that Chavez-DeRemer herself directed administration employees to perform personal tasks during official time.

Meanwhile, a personal aide and executive assistant were reportedly sent to her residence to organise her closet, hang laundry and arrange her clothing and purses.

Investigators remarked another employee. This person was Hispanic, was directed to oversee workers at Chavez-DeRemer's home, including a moving crew.

As the report notes, employees were additionally tasked with buying personal items, including gifts, picture frames, holiday decorations and alcohol.

Chavez-DeRemer, Wright and her deputy chief of staff additionally regularly drank alcohol in the secretary's study during duty hours, according to witness reports. Some employees remarked they felt pressured or ridiculed when they declined to participate.

Department of Labor policy requires advance written authorisation for alcohol on federal property. Investigators discovered no record that the required approval had been obtained. Relationship with security detail.

Notably, the watchdog additionally zeroed in on aspects of Chavez-DeRemer's personal behaviour that violated administration ethics standards.

Regulations prohibit administration employees from using their office "to coerce or induce another person, including a subordinate, to provide" them with "any financial or other benefit".

It additionally bars office-holders from requesting subordinates to employ administration time for activities that fall outside their job's official duties.

But the report determined that Chavez-DeRemer developed an "inappropriately close and unprofessional" relationship with a senior agent on her protective detail.

Witnesses documented seeing Chavez-DeRemer massaging the agent's shoulder, golfing and gambling with him, and leaving an event walking arm-in-arm.

Meanwhile, the report, nevertheless, did not find "sufficient" evidence to conclude the relationship was sexual.

Still, investigators documented conduct where the relationship between Chavez-DeRemer and the agent created conflicts of interest or inappropriate work situations.

Meanwhile, the report describes an April 2025 incident in which Chavez-DeRemer was taking a personal trip to Oregon and asked her security detail to create an off-the-record stop at a club featuring partially nude dancers.

Notably, the senior agent she was involved with was additionally on the trip. A limousine driver objected to her requests to drop funds onto a performer, but the senior agent reportedly instructed him to comply.

Notably, the agent occasionally reduced the number of officers covering Chavez-DeRemer or assumed sole responsibility for her protection.

Investigators obtained electronic hotel door lock records suggesting the two spent time overnight in each other's rooms and reviewed video footage that documented his visits to her home. Unreported gifts and excess spending. The report additionally identified travel policy violations involving excessive spending.

For context, the cost for their lodging approached or exceeded three times the administration reimbursement rate, despite there being no documentation showing the required approval for the climbed costs.

Investigators further discovered that Chavez-DeRemer failed to report a number of gifts to the administration, including rodeo tickets, an alligator-hide wallet and cowboy hats given to her and her husband.

Federal administration office-holders are required to report gifts they receive as part of their official duties, to avoid conflicts of interest.

In its conclusion, the watchdog report recommends structural changes to the Labor Department, including removing the protective units from the secretary's oversight.

Such agents, it suggested, could instead work under the inspector general's office.

Meanwhile, the report additionally called on independent travel audits, stronger whistleblower protections and annual training for senior leaders.

According to the company's website, the former secretary heads a practice dedicated to labour and national infrastructure.

For now, watchdog report alleges misconduct by Trump's former labour secretary remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.