Labor Watchdog Finds Ex-Secretary Chavez-DeRemer Ran Hostile, Abusive Office
The Labor Department's Office of Inspector General found that former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer presided over a hostile, abusive workplace and violated department harassment policy, the report said in findings released Thursday, September 3, 2026.[1]
OIG investigators interviewed 53 current and former Labor Department employees and found merit to complaints about a hostile work environment, inappropriate relationship concerns, travel violations and orders to perform personal tasks.[2] The report says Chavez-DeRemer resigned one day before she was scheduled to be interviewed by OIG and that witnesses described the Office of the Secretary as "toxic, humiliating and intimidating." NPR
OIG found that chief of staff Jihun Han and deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright engaged in threatening, demeaning and abusive verbal and written communications, including repeated threats to fire staff.[2] Witnesses told investigators that Wright hired some employees based on appearance and made derogatory comments about staff hygiene and looks.[2] They reported Wright advising an employee not to cut her hair to avoid "turning into a lesbian" and moving a desk so a "fat person" would not be visible in the front office.[2]
The OIG concluded Chavez-DeRemer was aware of Han and Wright's behavior and failed to take action or impose appropriate discipline, finding violations of multiple department policies while not concluding that federal law was broken.[2] Chavez-DeRemer's attorney, Nick Oberheiden, said the report did not find she broke any laws and that she remains proud of her service in the Trump administration.[2]
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📌 Key Facts
- The Labor Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) report, released Thursday, September 3, 2026, states former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer violated the department's own policy prohibiting harassment in the workplace.
- The OIG said it interviewed 53 former and current Labor Department employees and found merit to the original complaints — including allegations of a hostile work environment, inappropriate relationship concerns, travel violations and directing staff to perform personal tasks — plus additional issues.
- Multiple witnesses described the Office of the Secretary as “toxic, humiliating and intimidating,” and said chief of staff Jihun Han and deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright engaged in threatening, demeaning and abusive verbal and written communications, including repeated threats to fire staff.
- Witnesses alleged that deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright hired some staff based on physical appearance and made derogatory comments about employees’ appearance and hygiene — including advising an employee not to cut her hair to avoid “turning into a lesbian” and moving a desk so a “fat person” would not be visible in the front office.
- The report says Chavez-DeRemer resigned one day before she was scheduled to be interviewed by OIG investigators.
- The OIG concluded Chavez-DeRemer was aware of Han and Wright’s behavior and failed to take action or impose appropriate discipline, finding failures to follow multiple department policies while not determining that federal law was violated.
- Chavez-DeRemer’s attorney, Nick Oberheiden, issued a statement emphasizing the report did not conclude she broke any laws and saying she remains proud of her service in the Trump administration.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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- The Labor Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) report, released Thursday, September 3, 2026, states that former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer violated the department's own policy prohibiting harassment in the workplace.
- OIG interviewed 53 former and current Labor Department employees and found merit to all of the original complaints about hostile work environment, inappropriate relationship concerns, travel violations and directing staff to perform personal tasks, plus additional issues.
- The report says Chavez-DeRemer resigned her position one day before she was scheduled to be interviewed by OIG investigators.
- Witnesses described the Office of the Secretary as "toxic, humiliating and intimidating," and said chief of staff Jihun Han and deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright engaged in threatening, demeaning and abusive verbal and written communications, including repeated threats to fire staff.
- Witnesses alleged that deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright hired some staff based on physical appearance and made comments about staffers' appearance and hygiene, including advising an employee not to cut her hair above her shoulders to avoid "turning into a lesbian" and moving an employee's desk so a "fat person" would not be visible in the front office.
- OIG concluded that Chavez-DeRemer was aware of Han and Wright's behavior and failed to take action or impose appropriate discipline, constituting failures to follow multiple department policies, though the report does not find that federal law was violated.
- Chavez-DeRemer's attorney, Nick Oberheiden, provided a statement emphasizing that the report did not conclude she broke any laws and asserting that she remains proud of her service in the Trump administration.