Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned Monday after a cascade of scandals including allegations of an extramarital affair, travel fraud by her top aides, and sexual assault accusations against her husband at the Labor Department building.
The 58-year-old former Oregon congresswoman stepped down just days before a scheduled bruising congressional hearing where Democrats were prepared to question her on the mounting allegations. She becomes the third Cabinet official to exit President Trump’s second term and the third consecutive woman to leave the administration’s highest levels.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung portrayed the departure as voluntary, announcing that Chavez-DeRemer would “be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector.” Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling will serve as acting labor secretary, according to Cheung, who wrote on X that she had done “a phenomenal job” protecting American workers.
Her attorney, Nick Oberheiden, maintained the resignation “is not the result of legal wrongdoings. It is a personal decision.” Chavez-DeRemer herself posted on social media that it had “been an honor and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration,” thanking Trump for the opportunity.
In a separate statement, however, she lashed out at critics, claiming the allegations against her “have been peddled by high-ranked deep state actors who have been coordinating with the one-sided news media.”
Her turbulent 13-month tenure was marred by a widening inspector general investigation and multiple controversies. Trouble began in January 2026 when the New York Post published details of a whistleblower complaint accusing her of drinking alcohol in the office during work hours, creating a hostile work environment, and carrying on an extramarital relationship with a member of her security detail. The security guard involved was placed on leave in January and subsequently resigned.
The same whistleblower complaint alleged that two senior aides, Jihun Han and Rebecca Wright, engaged in what it termed “travel fraud” by fabricating official trips to cities where Chavez-DeRemer wanted to spend personal time. She had reportedly asked staff to design work trips around a UFC fight in Chicago, a Morgan Wallen concert, and visits to friends and family nationwide. Both aides were placed on administrative leave in January and resigned in early March.
A third senior staff member, Melissa Robey, said in late March that she had been fired shortly after giving a four-hour interview to the Office of the Inspector General.
Perhaps most damaging were February reports that her husband, Shawn DeRemer, an anesthesiologist from Portland, Oregon, had been barred from Labor Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., after at least two female agency employees accused him of sexual assault involving inappropriate touching. One D.C. Metropolitan Police Department report documented a female staffer reporting “sexual contact against her will” that allegedly took place on Dec. 18 inside the department building.
Federal prosecutors and Washington, D.C., police investigated the allegations but closed the case without filing charges. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro stated “based upon the evidence presented to this office in relation to the video, there is no indication of a crime.” Shawn DeRemer’s attorney said he “categorically denies every allegation.” The allegations were later re-filed at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission along with workplace complaints.
Chavez-DeRemer’s appointment to the Labor post was atypical for a Republican administration. The former representative from Oregon’s 5th District, who lost her reelection bid in November 2024, was heavily advocated by Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who pushed for her selection because she was among the few Republicans backing the PRO Act, legislation intended to make unionizing easier. O’Brien had spoken at the 2024 Republican National Convention in a prime-time slot.
Confirmed by the Senate in March 2025, she became the first Cabinet secretary from Oregon since Neil Goldschmidt served under President Jimmy Carter.
Acting Secretary Keith Sonderling, who had been managing much of the department’s daily operations while Chavez-DeRemer conducted a 50-state “America at Work” listening tour, is being eyed as a potential permanent nominee. He brings nearly a decade of policy experience at the Department of Labor and the EEOC.
The White House faces a tricky confirmation battle, though. Any nominee must clear the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the November midterms loom large. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., offered a blunt assessment of the outgoing secretary: “She demonstrated a lot of wisdom in resigning.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, was less diplomatic. Chavez-DeRemer’s tenure, she said, represented “a failure of leadership.”