Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is facing fresh allegations after months of reports about inappropriate conduct and alleged affairs.
The 58-year-old, her senior aides, and her relatives are now under review after they regularly sent personal messages and made personal requests of young staff members in texts seen by the New York Times.
These requests included Chavez-DeRemer, 58, and her former deputy chief of staff asking subordinates to bring them wine, including in the middle of the workday. Chavez DeRemer’s deputy chief of staff, Rebecca Wright, resigned in March following a probe into the secretary’s alleged relationship with a subordinate, which a complainant claimed that Wright had knowledge of.
Other messages seen by the Times include ones sent by Chavez-DeRemer’s husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, and her father, Richard Chavez, to young female staff members, who were instructed by Chavez-DeRemer and Wright to “pay attention” to the men.
One message sent by Chavez to a young female staffer read, “Hearing u/r in town. Wishing you would let me know. I could have made some excuses to get out and show u around. Please keep this private.”
The staff member replied, “Will do, no need to worry!” and apologized for not reaching out, assuring him that she would be back in Oregon soon.
“When are u leaving an where u staying,” he replied.
Chavez has not been accused of wrongdoing.
The same staff member messaged DeRemer weeks later and apologized for not contacting him, writing, “I’ve been having so much fun traveling with LCD and being in the moment for everything!! I promise from now on I’ll check in.”
“You better,” DeRemer, an anesthesiologist, responded. “I was feeling forgotten. I figured you were still in church repenting after your exposure to the demon state of Oregon.”
DeRemer was barred from entering the Department of Labor’s D.C. headquarters in February after he was accused of sexually assaulting two female staffers. He has denied all allegations.
The Daily Beast has contacted Chavez-DeRemer’s office and the Department of Labor for a response. Representatives did not provide comment to the New York Times.
Chavez-DeRemer was already facing an internal investigation following a January complaint that she had been “abusing her position” by engaging in a relationship with a subordinate, her bodyguard. Both Wright and the secretary’s chief of staff, Jihun Han, were accused of knowing about the relationship; both have since resigned.
Shortly after news of the probe broke, the secretary’s bodyguard was temporarily suspended from his duties pending an investigation into the allegations. He eventually quit his position in March.
In addition to Chavez-DeRemer‘s chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, and bodyguard, her director of advance was also forced out, being placed on administrative leave as a result of the ongoing probe.
Earlier this month, three staff members filed civil rights complaints against the secretary and the Department of Labor, accusing her of fostering a toxic workplace and retaliating against the women who accused her husband of sexual assault. The complainants also described fearing retaliation for pushing back against directives and alleged misuse of official resources.
Chavez-DeRemer and her aides have also been accused of drinking at work and keeping a stash of liquor in the office. In one text message seen by the New York Times, the secretary asked an employee to bring rosé to her hotel room.
“Do they sell by the bottle,” she asked. When the staffer explained that they did, but that it was sold out, she pivoted, asking instead, “How about the josh sauvi B.” The Times notes that the messages are undated, but a menu visible in the exchange is from a hotel bar in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Chavez-DeRemer visited Myrtle Beach on an official visit in July.
In another message, Wright asked a staffer to pick up “a bottle or 2” of wine or champagne.
“Lori wants to do a toast when this meeting is over,” she said.
