Chavez-DeRemer exiting Trump Cabinet amid misconduct investigations

Daniela Altimari, CQ-Roll Call on Apr 20, 2026

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WASHINGTON — Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the former one-term congresswoman from Oregon whose tenure has been marked by allegations of misconduct including an “inappropriate” relationship with a subordinate, is departing her Cabinet post.

Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the administration for an undisclosed position in the private sector, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said Monday on social media.

“She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives,” Cheung wrote.

Chavez-DeRemer is the third member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to depart in the past two months, following the ousting of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Keith Sonderling, currently the deputy secretary of Labor, will take on the role of acting secretary of Labor, Cheung added.

Chavez-DeRemer’s departure was first reported by NOTUS.

Chavez-DeRemer’s tenure leading the department has been roiled by multiple scandals. In January, the New York Post reported that Chavez-DeRemer was under investigation for an alleged “inappropriate” relationship with a subordinate. She was also accused of drinking alcohol in her office during the workday.

The New York Times reported last week that Chavez-DeRemer’s husband and father exchanged text messages with young female staff members. The newspaper also reported that Chavez-DeRemer and her former deputy chief of staff asked employees to deliver wine to them while they were on trips for the department.

According to the Times, four department employees have been forced out of their jobs, including Chavez-DeRemer’s former chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, her director of advance and a member of her security detail, with whom Chavez-DeRemer has been accused of having an affair.

The former mayor of Happy Valley, Ore., Chavez-DeRemer represented Oregon’s 5th District for a single term. During that time, she was one of three Republicans to co-sponsor a bill to expand protections for workers to organize and collectively bargain. Known as the PRO Act, it did not come to a vote, though the matter became an issue during her Senate confirmation process.

Senate Republicans, who opposed the bill, asserted it would force workers to join unions. Democrats voiced support, saying the legislation would empower employees. Chavez-DeRemer was ultimately confirmed by a vote of 67-32 in March, 2025, with several Democrats supporting her and three Republicans voting no.

In January, the government paid nearly $100,000 to resolve an employment discrimination claim that arose from Chavez-DeRemer’s former congressional office, according to a report from the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.

The payment is the largest award or settlement from a House office since at least 2019, according to past reports, and the office was the only House office to have an employment discrimination claim payment in 2025.

The report did not indicate whether Chavez-DeRemer was involved in the conduct related to her congressional office.

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