Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Deremer is resigning her Cabinet post amid a series of misconduct allegations against herself and her top staff.
White House communications director Steven Cheung said Monday that Chávez-DeRemer is leaving “to take a position in the private sector.”
“She has done phenomenal work in her role by protecting American workers, enforcing fair labor practices, and helping Americans acquire additional skills to improve their lives,” he said in a statement. Statement posted on social media.
Chávez-Deremer has been under investigation since January, when DOL Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito began investigating allegations that she engaged in an extramarital affair with a member of her security department, that she drank alcohol on the job and that top aides arranged official programs to facilitate her personal travel plans.
The White House initially stood by him, calling the allegations false and saying the Labor Secretary was considering legal action against the person who filed the wrongdoing claims.
White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt told reporters on January 15 that the President thought Chávez-Deremer was “doing a great job” and that the White House had repeatedly indicated support for Chávez-Deremer amid the IG investigation.
Since then, four people placed on leave during the investigation have left the Labor Department.
Chávez-Dermer’s chief of staff Jihun Han and deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright, both of whom had worked on her congressional staff during her single term in the House, left under pressure from the White House.
Security guard Brian Sloan, accused of engaging in an extramarital affair with the Labor secretary, resigned in March rather than cooperate with the investigation. And the head of Chávez-DeRemar’s advance team, Melissa Roby, was fired shortly after sitting down for an interview with investigators.
