Another woman ousted from Trump’s Cabinet as Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer exits

Embattled Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced Monday that her time had come to an end amid a widening misconduct investigation, becoming the third Senate-confirmed Cabinet official, and the third woman, to leave President Donald Trump’s second-term administration in less than two months.

LGBTQ+ advocates moved quickly to define her tenure. “Sec. Chavez-DeRemer’s legacy will be defined by scandal and her eagerness to sell out American workers,” Human Rights Campaign communications director Laurel Powell told The Advocate in a statement. “The damage she did to LGBTQ+ Americans by leading the administration’s campaign against workplace inclusion is incalculable. Her tenure at the Labor Department couldn’t end soon enough.”

Her departure follows the removals of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi, creating a striking pattern at the highest levels of government.

Related: Now Kristi Noem wants privacy

Related: House Oversight Dem Robert Garcia celebrates Kristi Noem’s firing: ‘Now we don’t have to impeach her’

In a post on X, White House communications director Steven Cheung said Chavez-DeRemer “will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector” and praised her record, writing that she “has done a phenomenal job… protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives.” He added that her deputy, Keith Sonderling, a former EEOC commissioner, will serve as acting labor secretary.

By early 2026, however, her department had come under scrutiny. A misconduct complaint alleging personal travel during official trips was first reported by the New York Post, while other details of the inspector general's investigation, including allegations of an affair with a member of her security detail and misuse of department resources, were confirmed in subsequent reporting. The New York Times reported that her husband had been barred from Labor Department headquarters after two staffers accused him of sexual assault.

Her chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, and the security aide at the center of the allegations all exited by March. At least four officials were forced out as the inquiry expanded.

According to the Washington Post, her attorney said the resignation “is not the result of legal wrongdoings,” describing it as a personal decision meant to avoid disruption.

Related: Top Oversight Democrat says fired AG Pam Bondi ‘must answer’ for Epstein files

Related: Trump fires staunch defender Pam Bondi

In her own statement posted to X after the White House announcement, Chavez-DeRemer called it “an honor and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration and work for the greatest President of my lifetime.” She said she was proud of efforts to “bridge the gap between business and labor,” expand job training, and “put the American worker first,” adding that her time in office was shaped by lessons from her first job “packing peaches in rural California.”

Under Chavez-DeRemer, the Labor Department sharply reduced the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the agency responsible for enforcing nondiscrimination rules among federal contractors. The office was cut by roughly 90 percent, shrinking from hundreds of staff across dozens of offices to a fraction of its former size. At a Cabinet meeting last year, Chavez-DeRemer praised the move, saying the administration had “eliminated discriminatory DEI offices” and effectively abandoned the program’s enforcement role.

The cuts to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs significantly reduced oversight of nondiscrimination requirements that include sexual orientation and gender identity, limiting the federal government’s ability to investigate complaints and hold contractors accountable.

Advocates say the rollback stripped protections from tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ workers.

“We hope that future Labor Secretaries remember what workforce leaders have proven for decades: inclusive workforces are stronger, more competitive, and better for every American,” Powell said.