Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned on Monday amid an internal misconduct probe, according to sources. The resignation follows allegations of an affair with her bodyguard, travel fraud, and a hostile work environment. White House spokesman Steven Cheung announced that Chavez-DeRemer will leave the administration to take a position in the private sector. Chavez-DeRemer stated she was looking forward to the future and honored to serve in the administration. Her personal attorney Nick Oberheiden said she strongly disputes the allegations but believes resignation is in the country's best interest.
The allegations center on an alleged affair between Chavez-DeRemer and her bodyguard, Brian Sloan, who resigned last week, according to Politico, citing two department officials. Sloan was placed on leave amid an Inspector General probe into allegations of unprofessional conduct by Chavez-DeRemer, the Daily Mail reported. An internal complaint obtained by The New York Post alleges that Chavez-DeRemer had at least three meetings with her employee and alleged partner in September and October while waiting for her security team to leave or after dismissing them. The complaint also alleges that Chavez-DeRemer and Sloan traveled to Red Rocks Casino Resort and Spa in Las Vegas during the government shutdown for her niece's birthday, and cites two other trips to Las Vegas where video allegedly captures them behaving unprofessionally.
Lori has been a tremendous leader for the Department of Labor, protecting American workers and enacting fair labor practices. We thank her for her service and wish her the best in her future endeavors.
The internal complaint further alleges that top staffers at the Department of Labor engaged in travel fraud, creating fake business trips using taxpayer funds. Chavez-DeRemer is accused of making ten of her 50 official trips to Nevada, Oregon, Michigan, or Arizona, including three of five trips in November, according to the complaint. The Inspector General's complaint alleges that Chavez-DeRemer used government trips to give a brief speech then go out drinking at night using government money. The New York Post reported that Chavez-DeRemer allegedly took subordinates to a strip club in Oregon on April 18, 2025, using $2,890.06 in taxpayer funds. Sources said accusations of taxpayer-funded travel were corroborated, with staff instructed to conceal items from ethics lawyers.
The Inspector General's complaint also alleges that Chavez-DeRemer maintains a stash of bourbon, Kahlua, and champagne at her office and drank on the job. The New York Post reported that Chavez-DeRemer allegedly made her aides run personal errands. A whistleblower complaint alleged that Chavez-DeRemer drank in the office during work hours, created a hostile work environment, and pursued an extramarital affair with her security guard. The whistleblower complaint also alleged travel fraud, including having aides make up official trips for personal purposes.
She strongly disputes the allegations but believes that resigning is in the best interest of the country.
Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito was expected to conclude the Labor Department investigation in the coming weeks, according to sources. The investigation broadened over three months, involving dozens of staff interviews and evidence of an alcohol stash and a trip to an Oregon strip club, sources said. Four other staffers at the Department of Labor were investigated and resigned amid the Office of Inspector General’s inquiry, according to research. The initial reports prompted a parallel probe by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
White House communications director Steven Cheung praised Chavez-DeRemer's performance, saying she was a tremendous leader for the Department of Labor, protecting American workers and enacting fair labor practices. Keith Sonderling is serving as acting Labor Secretary, Cheung confirmed. The resignation comes amid a broader pattern of turnover in the Trump administration; President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March and Attorney General Pam Bondi in April. White House and Labor Department representatives called the allegations baseless and categorically false when first reported.
Several questions remain unanswered. It is unclear what specific private sector job Chavez-DeRemer will take. The evidence gathered by the Inspector General regarding the allegations has not been made public. The Senate Judiciary Committee's parallel probe has not announced any conclusions. The nature of the relationship between Chavez-DeRemer and Brian Sloan remains unconfirmed. The total amount of taxpayer money allegedly misused has not been disclosed.