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By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
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Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has resigned from President Donald Trump's administration amid a Labor Department inspector general investigation into text messages showing her and her aides directing young staff members to bring wine to hotel rooms during official trips — and revealing her husband was barred from department headquarters after women reported unwanted advances, according to the New York Times.
Her departure, confirmed Monday by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung on X, makes her the third female Cabinet secretary removed from her position since January.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Labor via email on Monday for comment
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Who Is Lori Chavez-DeRemer?
Chavez-DeRemer was sworn in on March 11, 2025, as the 30th Secretary of the United States Department of Labor. The daughter of a Teamster and the first in her family to graduate from college, she dedicated over two decades to public service before joining the cabinet — serving on the Happy Valley City Council and eventually as mayor, during which time Happy Valley became Oregon's fastest-growing community, according to her official biography listed on the agency's website.
In 2022, she made history as the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Oregon, representing the state's Fifth Congressional District for one term before losing re-election in 2024. She and her husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer — her high school sweetheart — founded an anesthesia management company and several medical clinics across the Pacific Northwest. She is a mother of twin daughters and a new grandmother.
A source close to the president told Notus last week that the White House viewed her as an effective spokesperson for Trump's economic message and implementer of workforce policy — but that the mounting scandals surrounding her leadership had become "palace intrigue among people close to and inside of the White House."
Lori Chavez-DeRemer Labor Department Investigation: What We Know
The Labor Department's inspector general launched a monthslong investigation into Chavez-DeRemer's leadership after a complaint was filed alleging widespread misconduct, according to the New York Times. The inquiry is now in its final stages.
In text messages reviewed by the Times, Chavez-DeRemer and her former deputy chief of staff asked young staff members to bring wine to them during official trips — sometimes in the middle of the workday. In one exchange, Chavez-DeRemer asked a staff member to bring rosé to her hotel room at what appears to be a hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where she was on an official visit last July. When told the hotel was out of rosé, she responded: "How about the josh sauvi B." In a separate message, her then-deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright told a young female staffer to pick up "a bottle or 2" of wine or champagne just before 3 p.m. on a Friday, adding: "Lori wants to do a toast when this meeting is over."
The investigation also revealed that Chavez-DeRemer's husband, Dr. DeRemer, and her father, Richard Chavez, exchanged personal text messages with young female staff members, according to the Times. Some of the women told investigators they had been instructed by Chavez-DeRemer and her deputy chief of staff to "pay attention" to the men. Dr. DeRemer, an anesthesiologist, was barred from department headquarters after several women reported unwanted advances. One woman filed a report with Washington's Metropolitan Police Department, which opened a sexual assault investigation — though the department and federal prosecutor's office later said they would not bring charges. Richard Chavez has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Four people have been forced out of their jobs as a result of the investigation, including Chavez-DeRemer's former chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, director of advance, and a member of her security detail with whom she was accused of having an extramarital affair, according to the outlet. Three staff members have filed civil rights complaints against her and the department, describing a hostile work environment. Staff across the political spectrum described Chavez-DeRemer to investigators as disconnected from the work of the department, the Times reported.
The original complaint to the inspector general also accused Chavez-DeRemer and her aides of drinking on the job and keeping a stash of liquor at the office, according to the New York Post, which first reported the complaint in January.
Who Is Replacing Lori Chavez-DeRemer?
Cheung announced that Keith Sonderling will serve as Acting Secretary of Labor following Chavez-DeRemer's departure. Sonderling previously served as a commissioner and acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Labor in 2025.
It remains unclear who Trump would select as her formal permanent replacement.
Where Is Lori Chavez-DeRemer Going?
Cheung said that Chavez-DeRemer "will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector," without specifying the role or employer.
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Lori Chavez-DeRemer's Full Statement
Chavez-DeRemer posted the following statement to X on Monday:
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration and work for the greatest President of my lifetime. At the Department of Labor, I am proud that we made significant progress in advancing President Trump's mission to bridge the gap between business and labor and always put the American worker first. We created new pathways to mortgage-paying jobs, prepared workers to excel in the age of AI, took steps to lower prescription drug costs, promoted retirement security, and so much more. Thinking back to my first job packing peaches in rural California, it taught me the value of hard work – a value that I have carried with me every single day in this job and throughout my time in public service. We live in the best country in the world, and I am incredibly grateful that I had this opportunity to meet workers across the nation, listen to their stories, and deliver wins for them and their families. Thank you, President Trump. While my time serving in the Administration comes to a conclusion, it doesn't mean I will stop fighting for American workers. I am looking forward to what the future has in store as I depart for the private sector."
What Happens Next
The inspector general investigation is in its final stages and is expected to produce findings regardless of Chavez-DeRemer's departure.
Update 4/20/26, 6:14 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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