The Department of Labor is facing internal upheaval after an Office of Inspector General probe into Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer led to multiple senior staffers being placed on administrative leave, raising questions about travel practices, workplace conduct, and the potential political fallout for a key cabinet member during a Republican administration.
Reports say several top Labor Department employees have been put on leave while an inspector general investigation proceeds, and those personnel moves suggest the matter is serious enough to affect operations inside the agency. Sources indicate that at least two longtime aides were the first to be removed from duties, and at least one additional staffer was later sidelined, all tied to the ongoing probe.
Multiple employees at the Department of Labor have been placed on leave pending an inspector general’s investigation into alleged misconduct by Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, according to two people familiar with the matter.
At least one additional staffer has been temporarily relieved of their duties after two longtime aides were placed on administrative leave earlier this week in connection with the probe, the sources said.
Chief of Staff Jihun Han and Deputy Chief of Staff Rebecca Wright have been identified as the longtime aides put on leave, according to reporting. The allegations named in the complaint include “travel fraud” and “abuse of the office,” claims that, if true, would reflect poorly on both the secretary and those who organized her schedules.
Chavez-DeRemer, 57, was accused in a complaint filed with the DOL’s Office of Inspector General in December of committing “travel fraud” by having the two aides “make up” official trips to locations where the secretary can spend personal time or visit with family and friends.
Those favored destinations included Oregon, where she hails from and first ran for Congress in 2022; Arizona, where she and her husband have a home; Michigan, where her daughter resides; and Las Vegas, which she flew to at least four times in 2025, according to the complaint and travel schedules.
Of her more than 50 official trips outside DC as labor secretary in 2025, at least 10 were to one of those spots, per travel schedules.
Beyond questions about travel paperwork, the complaint alleges inappropriate personal behavior inside the workplace, including an “inappropriate” relationship with a subordinate who was reportedly brought into personal accommodations during some trips. Sources say that subordinate has been removed from regular duties after the investigation began, and legal counsel was mentioned in early reporting.
The subordinate has since been sidelined from regular duties since the IG investigation kicked off, sources added, after previously declining to comment on the allegations and stating that he had lawyers, whose contact information he did not provide.
Other accusations in the complaint paint a picture of a demanding management style and alleged misuse of staff for personal errands while on the clock, even claiming excessive drinking on the job. Those descriptions, if verified, would feed into critics’ broader narrative that unelected or poorly vetted officials can undercut a conservative administration’s agenda from within.
Supporters point out that replacing a Republican labor secretary who has backing from both business groups and unions would be politically awkward for the president, especially with a slim Senate majority. That political reality appears to be working in Chavez-DeRemer’s favor for now, as public statements from the White House have been supportive.
“He thinks that she’s doing a tremendous job at the Department of Labor on behalf of American workers,” Leavitt said in a press briefing Thursday.
The labor secretary has been promoting a 50-state listening tour called “America at Work,” which the administration frames as part of a broader “American Workers First” agenda. The tour has logged dozens of stops, and it remains unclear whether the IG probe will disrupt those outreach efforts or related policy work.
Political commentators remain skeptical about the ultimate outcome, with some predicting the investigation may amount to little more than temporary turbulence unless clear, provable violations are uncovered. The White House has reiterated confidence in Chavez-DeRemer while the OIG continues its work, underscoring the tension between due process and the political pressure that follows public allegations.
Working in her favor is the difficult nature of replacing a Republican labor secretary who boasts support from both business groups and unions. As a Latina from a suburban swing district in Oregon, she came to represent the broad coalition who lifted Trump to a second term. And with a slim GOP majority in the Senate, the president won’t be eager for a confirmation battle.
“He doesn’t want to try to find somebody who’s acceptable to his constituents in unions, as well as his management-side interests,” said Joseph Schmitt, a management-side attorney with Nilan Johnson Lewis PA. “He was able to thread that needle once.”
For now, the labor secretary’s standing with the president appears unshaken. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said Chavez-DeRemer has Trump’s “full support.”
Voices across the media spectrum have already weighed in, with some arguing Chavez-DeRemer never built a strong constituency and others noting her appeal to both labor and business interests. The chatter underscores how internal investigations can quickly become public-relations fights that demand attention from a White House juggling larger priorities.
Meanwhile, the inspector general’s process will play out on its own timetable, and any formal findings will determine whether these administrative leaves become the prelude to firings or fade as unresolved allegations. Until then, the department is operating with key aides out of circulation while the inquiry continues.
“He thinks that she’s doing a tremendous job at the Department of Labor on behalf of American workers,” Leavitt said in a press briefing Thursday.
On a recent media appearance, one commentator argued that Chavez-DeRemer “hasn’t really done much to prove” she advances the administration’s economic priorities, while another suggested she lacks a protective constituency. Those opinions reflect a political lens that will influence how this episode is remembered, regardless of the inspector general’s ultimate conclusions.
[Han] hopped on the campaign trail with Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer in her 2022 bid for a House seat, the culmination of a near decades long relationship between the two. After winning the congressional race, Jihun moved with Rep. Chavez-DeRemer to D.C., first as her Transition Aid, then as her Chief of Staff at the beginning of 2023.
“He doesn’t want to try to find somebody who’s acceptable to his constituents in unions, as well as his management-side interests,” said Joseph Schmitt, a management-side attorney with Nilan Johnson Lewis PA. “He was able to thread that needle once.”
The White House referred NBC News to press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s statement Thursday that Trump is aware of the probe and “stands by the secretary.” But she couldn’t confirm whether the president had spoken to Chavez-DeRemer about the investigation.
“He thinks that she’s doing a tremendous job at the Department of Labor on behalf of American workers,” Leavitt said in a press briefing Thursday.
Public attention will likely ebb and flow as the IG investigation proceeds, but the situation already highlights how personnel issues can derail focus from policy priorities. For now, the Labor Department is navigating both an internal probe and the political noise that follows any high-profile inquiry.
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