WASHINGTON — A sprawling inner investigation into Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has uncovered an alcohol “stash” in her Washington, DC, workplace — and proof she took subordinates to a strip membership whereas on an official departmental journey, in keeping with 5 sources acquainted with the probe.
The investigation has additionally confirmed that rumors the secretary pursued an “inappropriate” relationship with an underling had been mentioned internally months in the past and dismissed by her chief of workers Jihun Han — who was placed on go away Monday alongside along with his deputy Rebecca Wright, three of the sources affirmed.
The Publish first uncovered a bombshell criticism that alleged Chavez-DeRemer, 57, had additionally dedicated “journey fraud” by having Han and Wright “make up” official journeys, was consuming in her workplace in the course of the workday and enabled a hostile work atmosphere — along with her high aides belittling and bullying staffers.
The criticism has sparked at the very least a dozen interviews thus far with authorities officers and workers — a sign of the expansiveness of the probe.
The interviews have additionally uncovered a beforehand unreported incident involving Chavez-DeRemer allegedly taking subordinates to an Oregon strip membership in April 2025, per three of these sources and data reviewed by The Publish.
The April 18 go to to the membership, Angels PDX, exterior of Portland got here on the tail finish of a five-day journey to satisfy with the state’s Democratic governor Tina Kotek, a CEO of a truck manufacturing firm, and to tour an Intel chip middle and examine an “ironworker challenge,” official journey schedules present.
Journey vouchers present taxpayers forked over $2,890.06 in whole for the secretary’s Oregon journey, with prices of $1,324.21 for transportation, $722 for lodging, $655 for meals and $188.35 for miscellaneous bills.
“Secretary Chavez-DeRemer firmly denies any allegations of wrongdoing. Her utmost precedence stays to advance President Trump’s agenda by persevering with her laborious and profitable work for the betterment of the American folks,” mentioned her lawyer, Dr. Nick Oberheiden, in a press release.
The Labor Division inspector basic’s workplace, helmed by former New York GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, is looking for all potential proof — together with video footage — about at the very least 5 purported meet-ups between the married mother-of-two and her alleged paramour on the secretary’s DC condominium and a Las Vegas lodge.
The subordinate within the alleged “inappropriate” relationship with the secretary, who didn’t reply to a request for remark, has since been positioned on administrative go away, sources mentioned.
“The Division is not going to touch upon inner or personnel issues,” a DOL spokesperson mentioned in a press release Friday. “The Secretary stays targeted on finishing up the Division’s mission and supporting American employees.”
The White Home directed The Publish to a press release from press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday. “I’ve spoken to the president about that report relating to the secretary,” she instructed reporters in the course of the day by day briefing.
“He’s conscious of the interior investigation, and he stands by the secretary, and he thinks that she’s doing an incredible job on the Division of Labor on behalf of American employees,” Leavitt added.
The allegations towards the secretary and her aides had been contained in a criticism filed final month with the DOL’s Workplace of Inspector Basic, which was first reported by The Publish Jan. 9.
“There’s not an oz. of fact to this, and anybody who is aware of my spouse would know that,” Chavez-DeRemer’s husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, beforehand mentioned of the criticism’s allegations in a press release.
The IG’s workplace has not confirmed or denied the existence or non-existence of an investigation.
Up to now, the interviews have targeted on Han and Wright, who’re mentioned to have supplied “cowl” for the secretary’s conduct, insiders mentioned. Neither responded to a request for remark.
The choice to place the pair on go away was made partly as a result of they continued to exert improper affect over junior workers, even after the investigation started, The Publish understands.
Han had already leaned on staffers to silence questions on Chavez-DeRemer’s rumored affair a number of months in the past, instructing aides to “go away it alone,” in keeping with sources and the IG criticism.
The chief of workers and deputy chief of workers have additionally been accused because the probe began of deceptive the White Home about their and the secretary’s conduct — with Wright being outed for having overtly exhibited disdain for President Trump.
“We don’t care how POTUS seems,” she instructed workers final yr, in keeping with two sources, together with a present DOL worker, “and we don’t care what the White Home tells us to do. We solely care that the secretary seems good.”
Chavez-DeRemer was accused within the criticism of getting Han and Wright “make up” official journeys, discovering a convention or different occasion to attend so she had an excuse to go to her relations or journey for pleasure to favored locations like Nevada.
The secretary went to the Pink Rocks On line casino Resort and Spa in Vegas at the very least 4 occasions final yr — and twice along with her alleged affair companion within the division, per the criticism and journey schedules.
On a type of 4 visits, which was listed as a “private” journey in journey schedules, the labor boss celebrated her niece’s fortieth celebration on the lodge whereas the federal authorities was shut down in late October, in keeping with sources, pictures and movies obtained by The Publish.
Three different official visits to Sin Metropolis had been for a Teamsters’ convention in April, a carpenters’ union convention in August and an agricultural labor convention in December, schedules present.
On one other work journey in December, which her schedule reveals was to talk at an America First Coverage Institute occasion in Palm Seaside, Fla., Chavez-DeRemer was warned by ethics officers that she needed to pay her personal method for a few of it, in keeping with the criticism.
Chavez-DeRemer and Wright flouted this by scheduling an “official” dinner with “simply the 2 of them,” in keeping with the criticism — accusations which the IG investigation has since confirmed, sources mentioned.
Regardless of the Florida journey lasting 5 days, schedules present, the labor secretary had only one talking engagement at a luncheon.
A “stash” of champagne and different liquor cited within the criticism was additionally uncovered by investigators within the two ladies’s places of work this week, sources added.
Employees have revealed amid the interior investigation that they had been instructed to take away gadgets from the secretary’s calendar that ethics attorneys may not approve of — and simply put the journeys on her private schedule.
The secretary was additionally accused of getting workers run private errands whereas on the federal government dole.
Chavez-DeRemer set a purpose of visiting all 50 states on official journeys as a part of an “America at Work” listening tour in 2025 — however solely went to round three dozen. She has faulted the 43-day authorities shutdown in October and November for derailing that challenge.
Of her 53 official journeys as secretary, Chavez-DeRemer has spent 10 both in Nevada or areas the place she has household ties — together with Oregon, her dwelling state; Arizona, the place she and her anesthesiologist husband have a house; and Michigan, the place her daughter lives.
