Rodeo tickets and nude dancers: DOL details alleged policy violations under former secretary

The U.S. Department of Labor disclosed a “recurring pattern” of workplace misconduct involving former Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez‑DeRemer and four senior staff members in a September 3 report issued by the agency’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). The investigation, launched in early January after an anonymous complaint, found that Chavez‑DeRemer, her chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, a security‑team member, and the director of advance all violated multiple Department of Labor policies. Allegations included creating a hostile work environment, engaging in an inappropriate romantic relationship with a protective‑detail agent, flouting travel and vehicle‑rental rules, consuming and storing alcohol on‑site without approval, directing subordinates to perform personal errands, and accepting gifts such as rodeo tickets and an alligator‑hide wallet without proper ethics clearance. OIG interviewed 53 current and former employees and examined over 500 documents, images and videos, concluding that a preponderance of evidence substantiated the violations.

The report detailed how the toxic atmosphere permeated the department, with 38 witnesses describing it as “intimidating and humiliating.” The chief of staff and deputy chief of staff were repeatedly identified as central to this environment, often discussing employee performance publicly and even noting whether staff had cried during meetings. Employees reported pervasive fear, job insecurity, threats of termination, favoritism toward senior staff, and “beatdowns” in which workers were berated for perceived performance lapses. The director of advance was accused of bullying, exemplified by an incident where he forced a career employee into a cubicle while confronting them about unpaid travel vouchers. Regarding the alleged romantic liaison, 35 witnesses recounted frequent, informal text exchanges, a massage, sexual innuendo, and hotel‑door lock records suggesting the two spent nights in each other’s rooms, compromising the security agent’s protective duties.

In response, OIG recommended sweeping reforms: establishing structural independence for the division of protective operations, instituting independent and recurring oversight of senior official travel, creating or revising a department‑wide policy on supervisor‑subordinate relationships, mandating training on inappropriate workplace relationships, and strengthening whistleblower protections. Chavez‑DeRemer, confirmed as secretary in March 2025, was succeeded by former Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling, who remains acting secretary pending confirmation. Attempts by HR Dive to contact Chavez‑DeRemer, now a senior advisor at the PR firm Think Big, went unanswered, and the firm’s claim that agency information requests were overly broad was rejected by a Wisconsin federal judge. The scandal caps a tumultuous year for the Labor Department, underscoring systemic governance failures and prompting calls for tighter ethical oversight across the agency.

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