Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer Ousted After Misconduct Allegations, Deputy Named Acting Chief
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer was ousted Friday after misconduct allegations, and Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling has been named acting secretary of labor.
White House communications director Steven Cheung confirmed the move and said Chavez-DeRemer will take a private-sector job, offering the administration's first official explanation. Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling will serve as acting secretary, the White House said.
PBS and the Associated Press reported that the departure followed allegations of abuses of power, including an alleged affair with a subordinate and drinking on the job. Reporting says investigators first began looking into her conduct in January, and outlet NOTUS first reported her resignation earlier this week. PBS noted Chavez-DeRemer is the third Cabinet member to exit recently after Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi were fired.
Coverage shifted over days: Axios initially framed the move as a planned, voluntary exit, while later reporting from PBS and CBS framed it as an ouster tied to misconduct investigations. The White House's on-the-record statement praising her work and citing a private-sector role came after those outlets published allegations, illustrating how the public narrative moved from resignation to forced departure. Social media posts from news outlets amplified the reporting, prompting debate online about accountability for senior officials, though reactions varied and remain ongoing.
đ Key Facts
- The White House confirmed Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving the Trump administration.
- White House communications director Steven Cheung said she will take a private-sector position and issued an on-the-record statement praising her work.
- Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling will serve as acting secretary of labor, according to the White House.
- PBS/AP reported the departure followed alleged abuses of power, including an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job.
- Reports of investigations into Chavez-DeRemer began surfacing in January, and outlet NOTUS first reported her resignation on Monday.
- Chavez-DeRemer is the third Trump Cabinet member to exit recently, after Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi were fired.
- Axios reported in advance that Chavez-DeRemer was planning to leave; that initial framing as a planned departure preceded later outlets linking the exit to misconduct investigations.
đ° Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Axios reports, in advance of the formal ouster, that Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is planning to leave the Trump administration.
- The Axios piece frames the move initially as a planned departure, before later outlets connected it to misconduct investigations.
- White House communications director Steven Cheung confirmed that Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving the Trump administration.
- Cheung said Chavez-DeRemer is taking a position in the private sector, offering the first official explanation for her departure.
- Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling will become acting secretary of labor, according to the White House.
- PBS/AP reports Chavez-DeRemer is leaving after a series of alleged abuses of power, including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job.
- This makes Chavez-DeRemer the third Trump Cabinet member to exit recently, after Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi were fired.
- The article confirms Keith Sonderling, the current deputy labor secretary, will serve as acting labor secretary.
- White House spokesperson Steven Cheung issued an on-the-record statement praising her work and saying she will take a private-sector position.
- The piece notes that reports of investigations into Chavez-DeRemer began surfacing in January and that outlet NOTUS first reported her resignation Monday.