Lori Chavez-DeRemer had an inappropriate relationship with a bodyguard while Labor Secretary, an inspector general said in a Sept. 3 report.
Chavez-DeRemer, 58, also failed to comply with Department of Labor policies that bar workplace harassment; combined personal and official travel without adhering to department policy and federal regulations; and drank alcohol on federal property without proper authorization, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General said.
The office said Chavez-DeRemer also directed government employees to perform personal tasks using official resources, violating federal rules; and failed to report gifts through the required channels.
Chavez-DeRemer and the White House did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
She was secretary of labor from March 2025 to April 2026, and the White House said she would be leaving to join the private sector.
She is now a senior adviser at Think Big, a communications and strategy firm.
An anonymous complaint lodged in January prompted an investigation into Chavez-DeRemer and other Department of Labor staffers, the inspector general said in the new report.
The complaint said that Chavez-DeRemer was engaged in an inappropriate relationship, and that she and others created a hostile work environment and broke various rules.
Inspector General personnel interviewed 53 current and former employees. They also reviewed hundreds of documents, images, and videos, including video footage and travel documentation.
The evidence showed that Chavez-DeRemer had an inappropriate relationship with the assistant special agent in charge, who was not identified by name, the report said.
The evidence included the special agent repeatedly releasing or repositioning other agents so he could be alone with Chavez-DeRemer, sometimes without letting other personnel know their location.
At one point, the agent and Chavez-DeRemer stayed at the same hotel while other agents stayed at a different lodging.
Investigators also substantiated other violations, including a failure to report gifts as required.
Jihun Han, the former chief of staff at the department, and Rebecca Wright, the former deputy chief of staff, also failed to comply with policy prohibiting harassment in the workplace, investigators said.
They also possessed alcohol on duty without proper authorization and misused government resources.
They were terminated in the spring, according to the report.
Han and Wright could not be reached for comment.
Another official, who was not identified by name, was also found to have violated rules and laws and was fired around the same time, the inspector general’s office said.
The office sent a copy of the report to Keith Sonderling, the acting labor secretary.
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