The Labor Departments internal watchdog has determined that former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer maintained an inappropriately close and unprofessional relationship with her bodyguard that fostered a hostile work environment for subordinates.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its 44-page report on Thursday, following an investigation launched in response to an anonymous complaint filed in January. The complaint alleged that Chavez-DeRemer had an improper relationship with the assistant special agent-in-charge of the Department of Labors Division of Protective Operations, according to Just The News.
The report, which did not identify the agent by name, further alleged that Chavez-DeRemer, her chief of staff Jihun Han, and deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright created a hostile work environment and routinely drank alcohol on government property during business hours. In a detailed account of the office culture, investigators described senior leadership behavior that would be unacceptable in any professional setting, let alone a federal agency funded by taxpayers.
Over the course of the probe, the OIG interviewed 38 witnesses who characterized the atmosphere inside the department as toxic, intimidating and humiliating. Such testimony underscores growing public concern that federal bureaucracies, often shielded from accountability, can devolve into fiefdoms where standards and ethics are treated as optional.
Chavez-DeRemer resigned in April, stepping down as scrutiny over her conduct intensified. Her departure leaves lingering questions about how long the alleged misconduct persisted and why internal safeguards failed to stop it sooner.
The report also detailed an April trip to Oregon, during which the special agent complied with Chavez-DeRemers request for an unplanned, off-the-record stop at an establishment that was determined upon entry to feature partially nude dancers, according to the report. The agent instructed the government driver assigned to Chavez-DeRemer to enter the club with her, and, according to the report, she handed the driver cash and told him to give it to one of the dancers; when he refused, the special agent ordered him to comply, also according to Just The News.
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