Labor secretary’s top staffers placed on leave amid misconduct investigation

Two top staffers for Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer have reportedly been placed on leave amid an internal investigation into allegations that taxpayers footed the bill for personal trips with family and friends.

Chavez-DeRemar’s chief of staff, Jihun Han, and his deputy, Rebecca Wright, were named in a complaint to the Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG), which also accused the secretary, who is married, of having an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job. New York Post And politico.

The former Oregon congresswoman and labor secretary have visited 36 states since last March after setting a goal of visiting all 50 states during her first year in the Trump administration, Politico reported.

The complaint alleges that Hahn and Wright coordinated some of that travel, along with personal trips to visit family and friends, and were aware of the secretary’s behavior. new York Times.

The White House, the Labor Department, and Chávez-DeRemer’s husband have all denied the allegations.

Chavez-Deremer’s husband, Dr. Shawn Deremer, said of the allegations in a statement, “There is not an iota of truth to it and anyone who knows my wife would know that,” The Post reports.

“These baseless allegations are completely false,” DOL spokesperson Courtney Parella told The Post.

“Secretary Chavez-DeRemer has complied with all ethics rules and Department policies and remains fully engaged in carrying out the Department’s work on behalf of this historic administration. The Secretary is considering all possible avenues, including legal action, to fight these baseless allegations from anonymous sources.”

The department did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

In a statement to POLITICO, the Labor Department’s inspector general said, “DOL OIG is committed to eliminating fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption through objective, independent oversight of the U.S. Department of Labor.”