A Department of Labor internal watchdog has concluded that former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer oversaw a “toxic, intimidating and humiliating” work environment and violated multiple department policies during her time leading the agency, according to a new Office of Inspector General report.
Chavez-DeRemer resigned as Labor Secretary in April 2026 amid misconduct allegations. The OIG report, detailed by the Washington Post and the Associated Press, is based on interviews with 53 current and former Labor Department staffers and one employee from another federal agency, along with a review of more than 500 documents, images and videos.
What Investigators Found
The report describes several specific policy violations. Investigators say Chavez-DeRemer had an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security detail, combined personal and official travel in violation of department travel regulations, violated the agency’s alcohol policies, directed staff to perform personal errands on official time, and failed to report gifts through the proper channels.
The report also includes accounts from staff describing a workplace culture in which senior officials berated employees in front of colleagues and, in some instances, based staffing decisions on physical appearance rather than professional qualifications, according to the Associated Press account carried by Local10.
A Cabinet Tenure Cut Short
Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican congresswoman from Oregon, was confirmed as Labor Secretary in March 2025. Her departure in April came after reports of an internal investigation into her conduct, and multiple department staffers were placed on leave as that inquiry proceeded. The newly released OIG findings are the most detailed public accounting yet of what investigators say went on inside the department under her leadership.
The Labor Department is a Cabinet-level agency responsible for enforcing wage and workplace safety laws, overseeing unemployment insurance programs, and tracking the country’s employment data, including the monthly jobs report. An inspector general’s findings of this kind, spanning both personal conduct and misuse of official resources, are unusual for a former Cabinet secretary and are likely to draw further scrutiny from congressional oversight committees.
Chavez-DeRemer has not issued a detailed public response to the specific findings in the report. The Labor Department has not announced any further action stemming from the investigation.
Sources: Washington Post · Local10
