Trending 
United States Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced on Monday that she will step down from the role, ending a tenure overshadowed by a series of controversies, including complaints over the treatment of young female staff members.
Her departure follows weeks of speculation about her future and comes shortly after the exits of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi, adding to recent turnover involving female members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet.
Chavez-DeRemer said she would continue advocating for American workers but planned to return to the private sector after leaving government service.
“While my time serving in the Administration comes to a conclusion, it doesn’t mean I will stop fighting for American workers,” Chavez-DeRemer wrote in a post on X(formerly Twitter).
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…
— Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer (@SecretaryLCD) April 20, 2026
White House communications director Steven Cheung praised her performance, saying she had done an outstanding job during her time in office.
The former congresswoman had secured confirmation with support from more than a dozen Democrats. However, she recently faced growing pressure to resign over allegations that she, aides and members of her family regularly sent personal messages and requests to young staffers.
According to reports, Chavez-DeRemer and a former deputy chief of staff allegedly asked employees to bring wine during official trips. Her husband and father were also said to have contacted young female staff members, with some employees reportedly told by the secretary to pay attention to them.
The messages were reportedly uncovered during an internal review into her leadership, launched after complaints of widespread misconduct and concerns that she was detached from the department’s work.
Reports said four members of her team were removed following the probe, including her former chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, director of advance and a security aide with whom she was accused of having an affair.
Three staff members have also reportedly filed civil rights complaints alleging a hostile work environment.
Additional reports claimed two young female staffers accused Chavez-DeRemer’s husband, Shawn DeRemer, of unwanted sexual touching while they worked at Labour Department offices late last year.
Chavez-DeRemer did not address the allegations in her resignation statement.
Cheung said Deputy Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling would serve as acting labour secretary, though no permanent replacement has yet been named.
