Two DOL aides resign amid ongoing probe into ‘toxic’ workplace at Chavez-DeRemer’s labor department

When President Trump tapped Sec. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to run his labor department in early 2025, the Republican former representative from Oregon was seen as one of Trump’s more sensible Cabinet nominations, even earning a moniker as “the one Trump pick Democrats actually like.”

Chavez-DeRemer had a history supporting organized labor. Her nomination was endorsed by the Teamsters. While in Congress, she cosponsored former President Biden’s signature Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, an effort to bolster union membership and collective bargaining power. She was one of only three Republicans in the House to back the measure, which has repeatedly failed to pass the US Senate.

The Department of Labor’s remit is to help guide how American businesses interact with their employees and protect the American workforce. It’s an important agency HR pros look to for compliance, guidance, and data about the health of the labor market and economy. Once confirmed, HR leaders could ideally look to Chavez-DeRemer as a bridge of sorts between worker rights and Trump’s vision for America First.

What many didn’t see coming was a dearth of would-be HR violations.

In the months since her confirmation, Chavez-DeRemer has kept the agency in the news, not for sweeping changes to how the US works, but for internal chaos, misconduct, and claims she’s leading a “toxic” workplace.

This week, two of Chavez-DeRemer’s top aides—her chief of staff, Jihun Han, and deputy chief of staff, Rebecca Wright—resigned amid an ongoing inspector general investigation into several allegations of misconduct inside the agency. Both staffers had been on administrative leave since January, according to the New York Times.

“Over the past few weeks we’ve learned that not only is she not doing her job, she’s embroiling the department in scandal and possible criminal activity,” former DOL staffer Helen Luryi told the New York Times.

Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito’s months-long investigation is looking into claims that staffers fabricated Chavez-DeRemer’s official travel schedule in order to designate the secretary’s personal trips to visit family or vacation as official business for the US government.

His probe is also investigating claims into the “toxic” work environment Chavez-DeRemer and her top two aides fostered, including the verbal abuse of staffers and wasting departmental resources. Claims include the secretary’s drinking at work, travel for a birthday party early in her tenure (during the government shutdown), and a trip with staffers to a strip club, the Independent previously reported.

The IG is also investigating allegations Chavez-DeRemer was entangled in an affair with a member of her security team.

In addition to probes covering Chavez-DeRemer’s travel and use of funds, her key staff, and concerns about a toxic workplace, the secretary’s husband has also been subject to investigation at the Francis Perkins building, the DOL’s HQ, according to the New York Times. Multiple female employees accused Shawn DeRemer of unwanted sexual advances, and he’s now banned from entering the building. The Times reported that his attorney said the claims were a ruse to force Chavez-DeRemer from office, and police did not bring charges against him.

When HR leaders look to the DOL, they’re looking for guidance on how to compliantly deliver employment practices, but perhaps Chavez-DeRemer’s approach is more akin to the “do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do” strategy.