Former Labor Secretary Resigns After Inspector General Report Cites Policy Violations

The Department of Labor’s inspector general issued a report that found former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer had violated multiple agency policies during her tenure. The report documented an "inappropriately close and unprofessional relationship" with chief bodyguard Brian Sloan, who supervised her security detail, and cited instances where personal and official travel were combined contrary to Department of Labor rules.

According to the report, Chavez-DeRemer took subordinates to a strip club in Oregon on a work trip, with taxpayer-funded expenses totaling $2,890.06. The document described how she directed a security officer to give cash to a performer and later instructed the officer to drop the bills onto the partially nude woman, actions the officer carried out after being urged by Sloan.

The inspector general also noted that Chavez-DeRemer consumed alcohol on federal property without authorization, used government resources for personal tasks, and failed to report gifts as required. Additional violations were identified involving four of her subordinates, including Sloan.

Witnesses described a familiar rapport between Chavez-DeRemer and Sloan, including informal address, frequent text messaging, and arm-in-arm walking after events. The report said Chavez-DeRemer, in consultation with former Deputy Chief of Staff Rebecca Wright, excluded certain security agents based on perceived age, fitness, or political affiliation.

A complaint filed in January alleged abuse of authority and personal misconduct, prompting a temporary suspension of Sloan, who later resigned. Surveillance at Chavez-DeRemer’s Washington, D.C., residence captured an individual matching Sloan’s description entering the home during the investigation.

Chavez-DeRemer denied wrongdoing, and the White House initially expressed support. She resigned in April, stating she was moving to the private sector, and later joined the board of the Log Cabin Republicans.

"The evidence supports multiple violations of policy," the inspector general’s office said in its findings.