US Governance — 2026-04-22

Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer resigns amid IG misconduct probe; Sonderling acting; third Cabinet exit in second term

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned April 20 amid a year-long Labor Department Office of Inspector General investigation into alleged professional misconduct, including using agency resources for personal travel, drinking on the job, and an extramarital relationship with a member of her security detail, NPR and the Washington Post reported. Chief of staff Jihun Han, deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright, security staffer Brian Sloan, and advance-team lead Melissa Robey have all departed during the probe. Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling was named acting secretary; the White House said Chavez-DeRemer was leaving for a private-sector role. She is the third member of Trump's second-term Cabinet to depart, following Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Analysis
Three Cabinet exits in roughly six weeks (Noem, Bondi, Chavez-DeRemer), all departing under inspector-general scrutiny rather than policy friction (corroborated across five outlets including NPR, Washington Post, and NBC News with attorney-of-record statement) very likely accelerate Hill demand for Senate scrutiny of the next nominee round within the coming weeks, particularly at DOL. The OIG findings, four named senior staff departures (Han, Wright, Sloan, Robey), and Sonderling's acting designation now on record leave a 16,000-employee, $13.9B agency without a confirmed principal. Chavez-DeRemer's confirmation rode a 17-Democrat crossover built around Teamsters O'Brien's endorsement; that coalition is spent, narrowing Trump's political options on organized labor. Sonderling likely holds acting through summer, DOL ranking lower in White House confirmation priority than DHS and DOJ.

5 sources