White House Announces Labor Secretary Will Resign; Trump's 3rd Female Cabinet Member Steps Down

The White House announced today that Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the government to take a position in the private sector. AFP reported that she had been plagued by scandals during her tenure, including accusations of mistreating young female employees. Recent changes among female cabinet members in the Trump administration have been frequent. Following the departures of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi, speculation about Chavez-DeRemer's future had been ongoing for weeks. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung announced on social media platform X: 'Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the administration to pursue opportunities in the private sector.' He praised her performance during her tenure as 'outstanding.' Chavez-DeRemer, a former member of Congress, received support from over a dozen Democratic lawmakers at her nomination. However, she has recently faced pressure to resign due to accusations that she, her staff, and her family frequently sent private messages to young female employees requesting favors. The New York Times reported last week that Chavez-DeRemer and her former deputy chief of staff had texted employees to fetch them alcohol during a business trip. According to The New York Times, Chavez-DeRemer's husband and father also exchanged messages with young female employees at the Department of Labor, and the Secretary had instructed some female employees to 'watch out' for these two men. AFP reported that some complaints alleged Chavez-DeRemer's misconduct, with many employees stating she was incompetent as Secretary of Labor. An inquiry was launched into Chavez-DeRemer's leadership style, and the aforementioned information was collected during the investigation. The New York Times reported that following the investigation, four team members, including the former chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, scheduling director, and a bodyguard accused of an affair with Chavez-DeRemer, were forced to resign. Additionally, three employees filed complaints with supervisory authorities alleging a hostile work environment. (Compiled by: Ji Jin-ling) 1150421