The agency that polices workplace misconduct says its own recent boss presided over just that. An internal Labor Department watchdog report released on Thursday concludes that former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer tolerated harassment, fostered a "toxic, intimidating, and humiliating" environment, and blurred professional lines with a security aide while misusing government resources, per the Wall Street Journal. Investigators say Chavez-DeRemer let senior aides routinely berate staff in "beatdown" meetings, where employees were threatened with firing and mocked for crying.
Chavez-DeRemer is also said to have allowed alcohol in the office without proper approval, and the inspector general's 44-page report notes that, when some staffers would turn down a drink offer, top aides "pressured them to participate or ridiculed them for abstaining," per the New York Times. In addition, investigators found that Chavez-DeRemer had an "inappropriately close and unprofessional" relationship with a security staffer—witnesses described after-work texts and a shoulder massage—though they said they couldn't prove the relationship was romantic or sexual, per the Journal.
The report cites six areas where her behavior clashed with agency standards, including having staff handle personal errands on government time and failing to properly report gifts. Chavez-DeRemer resigned on April 20, a day before a scheduled interview with investigators, and has denied wrongdoing. Two top staffers tied to the misconduct, chief of staff Jihun Han and deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright, are no longer with the agency. Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling is now acting chief and has been nominated by President Trump to lead the department.
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