: Tuesday, April 21, 2026 08:17 AM
New York. US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Dermer has become the third Cabinet member to leave within two months amid controversies during President Donald Trump’s second term. White House communications chief Steven Chiang announced her departure from her post at the social site on Monday, saying she was moving into the private sector. Chávez-Deremer was accused of having an affair with a member of his security team, disguising private trips as official trips, drinking alcohol in his office, and causing chaos in his office.
All three cabinet officers who recently resigned are women. The other two are Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was fired this month, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was fired last month. Noem was also accused of having an affair with an advisor, which she denied.
During his tenure, Deremer canceled millions of dollars in grants given by the department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs to non-governmental organizations abroad for anti-slavery and anti-child labor programs.
Chiang said he would be replaced by his deputy, Keith Sonderling, as acting labor secretary. Trump did not comment on his removal from office, but Chiang said, “He has done a great job in protecting American workers, enforcing fair labor practices, and helping Americans acquire additional skills to improve their lives.”
Chávez-Deremer’s chief of staff and the security guard she was accused of having an affair with had already been fired. He was under investigation by the department’s Inspector General over allegations of professional misconduct and interference by his family in the department.
Her husband, Shawn DeRemer, was banned from his office after some female employees accused him of misconduct, one of which led to a police investigation.
The Senate Judiciary Committee had also started an investigation into the allegations against him. Chavez-Deremar, 58, was a former member of the House of Representatives from Oregon who lost her re-election bid.
Trump chose him for the post because he had the support of the powerful Teamsters trade union, which supported his re-election.
As Secretary of Labor, she took steps that weakened many labor protection regulations, such as rules regarding workplace safety and minimum wages for certain categories of workers, which brought her into conflict with unions.
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