General Discussion

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is out of President Donald Trump's Cabinet, the administration announced Monday, after a series of alleged abuses of her position's power, including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/lori-chavez-deremer-is-out-as-labor-secretary-white-house-says

U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer — who represented Oregon’s 5th Congressional District from 2023 to 2025 — is under investigation by the agency’s inspector general on allegations the married cabinet member has had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, spent taxpayer money on personal travel and kept champagne, bourbon and Kahlua in her office, where she drank during the workday.

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2026/01/trump-cabinet-member-with-oregon-ties-accused-of-workplace-drinking-improper-relationship-travel-fraud-reports-say.html

Then last week, The New York Times had some new reporting, and ew, ick, hoo boy:

Ms. Chavez-DeRemer’s husband exchanged text messages with young female staff members, as did her father. Some of the young women were instructed by Ms. Chavez-DeRemer and the former deputy chief of staff to “pay attention” to the men, according to people familiar with the investigation.

Sorry, her husband and her father were hitting on female staff, and she was encouraging it? Gross. She’s 57, so her father must be 80, at least. What 25-year-old female Labor Department employee wants to be ordered by her boss to flirt with an 80-year-old man?

The Times got a look at some of these messages, and again, ew, ick, and so forth:

In an April 2025 exchange provided to investigators, Ms. Chavez-DeRemer’s father, Richard Chavez, wrote to a young female staff member: “Hearing u/r in town. Wishing you would let me know. I could have made some excuses to get out and show u around. Please keep this private.”

The father also asked the young female how long she would be in town and where was she staying. We hope she told him Deanwood, and he should come on by whenever.

https://www.wonkette.com/p/labor-secretary-resigns-to-spend