Trump Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer Resigns Amid Misconduct Investigation

US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is stepping down from her role in the administration, the White House confirmed on Monday, announcing that she will transition to the private sector.

A spokesperson for President Donald Trump said Chavez-DeRemer had “done a phenomenal job” in her position, highlighting her work on labor policy and workforce development initiatives.

Her resignation comes amid ongoing internal investigations by the Department of Labor’s inspector general into allegations of professional misconduct, including claims involving inappropriate workplace behaviour, misuse of government resources, and ethical concerns raised by current and former staff.

Reports have also suggested that multiple senior officials within the department have been removed as part of the wider inquiry. Separate allegations involving members of her family and close aides have also been referenced in media reports, though some claims remain unproven and are still under review.

Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican congresswoman from Oregon and daughter of a union member, previously served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives before joining the administration.

Her departure marks the third cabinet-level exit of women officials during the president’s second term.

Her nomination by Trump was welcomed by unions sceptical of the president’s second term agenda for workers. In March last year the Senate confirmed Chavez-DeRemer 67-32 with more than a dozen Democrats joining Republicans in backing her.

On Monday, Chavez-DeRemer wrote on X: “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.”

But during her tenure, the administration cancelled millions of dollars in international grants that a labor department division administered to combat child and slave labor around the world, ending their work that had helped reduce the number of child laborers worldwide by 78 million over the last two decades.

The department also moved to rewrite or repeal more than 60 workplace regulations it saw as obsolete. The rollbacks included minimum wage requirements for home care workers and people with disabilities, and rules governing exposure to harmful substances and safety procedures at mines. The effort drew condemnation from union leaders and workplace safety experts.

The proposed changes also included eliminating a requirement that employers provide adequate lighting for construction sites and seat belts for agriculture workers in most employer-provided transportation.

Cheung said Keith Sonderling would take on the role of acting secretary of labor.