Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is stepping down from the Trump administration to take a job within the personal sector amid an inner investigation into doable misconduct.
“Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer might be leaving the Administration to take a place within the personal sector,” White Home communications director Steven Cheung introduced in a press release. “She has completed an exceptional job in her function by defending American employees, enacting honest labor practices, and serving to Individuals acquire further expertise to enhance their lives.”
Keith Sonderling will function performing secretary of the Division of Labor, Cheung added.
CNN has requested the White Home for extra particulars, together with when Chavez-DeRemer’s departure will take impact.
In a statement on X, Chavez-DeRemer wrote that it had “been an honor and a privilege to serve on this historic Administration and work for the best President of my lifetime.”
“I’m proud that we made important progress in advancing President Trump’s mission to bridge the hole between enterprise and labor and at all times put the American employee first,” she wrote.
Sonderling wrote on X after the announcement, “Thanks to President Trump for the chance to function Appearing Secretary of Labor. We’ll sustain the struggle to place American employees first.”
Chavez-DeRemer’s temporary tenure has been one marked by turmoil as she’s come below inner investigation following complaints inside the division about her conduct. The New York Instances beforehand reported that her husband had been banned from the department’s headquarters amid sexual assault allegations. A legal investigation into that matter has been closed.
In March, two of her prime aides had been forced out amid an investigation into misconduct on the company.
For months, the Labor Division’s Inspector Normal’s Workplace has been investigating a criticism that Chavez-DeRemer was having a sexual relationship with a member of her safety crew, in addition to different allegations of inappropriate habits, comparable to sending workers to select up liquor and trying to make use of enterprise journeys as excuses for private journey, in response to a Division of Labor supply with information of the scenario.
For instance, Chavez-DeRemer had expressed a need to go to occasions comparable to a UFC struggle in Chicago, a Morgan Wallen live performance and to see family and friends in varied states, and requested workers to design work journeys that would supply her openings to attend these occasions, the supply mentioned.
As a part of the investigation, textual content messages between Chavez-DeRemer, her shut relations and workers members on the division that had been private in nature had been turned over to the inspector basic, in response to the supply. The messages included exchanges between Chavez-DeRemer’s husband and at the very least one younger workers member, by which he requested to be saved abreast of her whereabouts.
Chavez-DeRemer’s lawyer, Nick Oberheiden, mentioned in a press release to CNN earlier than her new job was introduced, “Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has made a reputation for herself as a zealous advocate for American employees. Mission-focused and dedicated to President Trump with utmost loyalty, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer is not going to touch upon biased and absurd allegations towards her.”
Chavez-DeRemer was sworn in as secretary of labor in March 2025, a time when the Trump administration, by way of the Division of Authorities Effectivity, sought to slash federal funding, lower packages and drastically cut back the federal workforce by reducing lots of of hundreds of jobs.
As of February, the Labor Division’s workforce was practically 25% smaller than it was in September 2024, US Workplace of Personnel Administration information reveals.
Reductions in staffing on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, specifically, stoked concern from policymakers, economists, lecturers, researchers and others, who sounded the alarm that current funding and staffing weren’t enough to make the “gold-standard” information extra modernized and strong. And the company confronted acute upheaval when Trump fired Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following a jobs report that contained giant revisions.
Within the days following McEntarfer’s firing, Chavez-DeRemer instructed Fox Enterprise that it was her job to assist the president within the matter.
Throughout her tenure, Chavez-DeRemer’s Labor Division introduced sweeping deregulatory efforts aimed toward rewriting or repealing greater than 60 office laws it deemed out of date. These included proposals to remove a minimal wage requirement for residence well being care employees, take away a typical requiring lighting in energetic development areas and cut back well being and security laws within the mining trade.
Chavez-DeRemer is the third Cupboard secretary to depart Trump’s authorities in current weeks, after he fired Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem and Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi.
This story has been up to date with further particulars.
