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There could be a small little bit of shake-up in the U.S. Department of Labor, and it is a ways coming straight from the tip. In step with experiences, an Space of job of Inspector Recurring (OIG) investigation used to be opened on Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and the investigation has swept up some high staffers in the Labor Department. Whether or now not this OIG investigation will disrupt President Donald Trump’s “American Workers First” and affordability focal level stays to be viewed.

Extra than one workers at the Department of Labor enjoy been placed on leave pending an inspector total’s investigation into alleged misconduct by Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, in conserving with two of us aware of the topic.

As a minimal one extra staffer has been rapidly relieved of their responsibilities after two longtime aides enjoy been placed on administrative leave earlier this week in connection with the probe, the sources acknowledged.

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Chief of Group Jihun Han and Deputy Chief of Group Rebecca Wright are the 2 “longtime aides” who enjoy been placed on leave in consequence of experiences of their involvement in facilitating the alleged misconduct dedicated by Chavez-DeRemer, alongside side race fraud and abuse of the office.

Chavez-DeRemer, 57, used to be accused in a complaint filed with the DOL’s Space of job of Inspector Recurring in December of committing “race fraud” by having the 2 aides “invent up” legitimate journeys to locations the place the secretary can exhaust deepest time or consult with with family and company.

Those appreciated locations incorporated Oregon, the place she hails from and first ran for Congress in 2022; Arizona, the place she and her husband enjoy a rental; Michigan, the place her daughter resides; and Las Vegas, which she flew to after all four instances in 2025, in conserving with the complaint and race schedules.

Of her greater than 50 legitimate journeys outside DC as labor secretary in 2025, after all 10 enjoy been to a form of spots, per race schedules.

The abuse of office accusation entails a reported “inappropriate” relationship with a subordinate. The NY Post alleged that this subordinate used to be welcomed into Chavez-DeRemer’s D.C. dwelling and at her resort on a whole lot of of the journeys the Labor Secretary took in 2025.

The subordinate has since been sidelined from standard responsibilities since the IG investigation kicked off, sources added, after previously declining to observation on the allegations and mentioning that he had lawyers, whose contact recordsdata he did now not provide.

Extra allegations in the OIG complaint accuse Chavez-DeRemer of “being a ‘boss from hell’ by forcing aides to run personal errands or perform other menial tasks while on the clock.” The complaint also accuses the secretary of being a day drinker.

Chief of Group Jihun Han is a Chavez-DeRemer loyalist. He credits his start in politics to Chavez-DeRemer and campaigned for her in 2016 and 2022. When Chavez-DeRemer acquired the 2022 congressional seat, Han moved to D.C. as section of her congressional workers.

[Han] hopped on the advertising campaign path with Gain. Lori Chavez-DeRemer in her 2022 characterize for a Dwelling seat, the fruits of a shut to decades long relationship between the 2. After winning the congressional bustle, Jihun moved with Gain. Chavez-DeRemer to D.C., first as her Transition Encourage, then as her Chief of Group at the initiating of 2023.

Deputy Chief of Group Rebecca Wright has a much less clannish involvement with Chavez-DeRemer, but used to be actively embroiled in the Oregon Republican caucus right by Chavez-DeRemer’s 2022-2024 Dwelling of Representatives time length. Wright labored as Chavez-DeRemer’s 5th congressional district director in Oregon, then acted as deputy advertising campaign supervisor for Republican remark Gain. Christine Drazan’s 2022 gubernatorial advertising campaign earlier than achieving the deputy place. 

The inspector total is investigating whether or now not Chavez-Remer’s chief of workers, Jihun Han, and his deputy, Rebecca Wright, engaged in “race fraud” by establishing expert events for their boss as an excuse for deepest race, these of us acknowledged.

NEW: On Friday, I broke the knowledge that Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, her chief of workers Jihun Han and her deputy chief of workers Rebecca Wright enjoy been all beneath investigation by their department’s inspector total’s office

Han and Wright enjoy been both put on administrative leave…

— Josh Christenson (@jchristenson_) January 12, 2026

It is a ways ordinary that the least visible and vocal member of the Trump administration cupboard is the individual that would be on the cutting block. Democrats and the Left enjoy their fire expert at Department of Fatherland Security Secretary (DHS) Kristi Noem, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Border Czar Tom Homan. Nonetheless the Labor Secretary? Appears indulge in shrimp change. 

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In April 2025, Chavez-DeRemer launched into an “The usa at Work,” 50-remark listening tour to advertise Trump’s policies for workers and has accomplished 33 visits to this level. It is a ways unclear if this OIG investigation will bring a halt to this DOL initiative, but as of this week, the Labor Secretary used to be detached selling her race on the Secretary of Labor’s X yarn.

This week, I used to be mad to internet abet out on the avenue in Fargo, North Dakota with @GovArmstrong and @AppliedDigital.

It used to be colossal to refer to with the location of Applied Digital’s fresh AI recordsdata middle and compare how President Trump’s agenda is delivering the roles of the future. pic.twitter.com/GrLH6P2o9j

— Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer (@SecretaryLCD) January 17, 2026

If the OIG investigation proves to be inconclusive and President Trump is tell to leave Chavez-DeRemer in her position, then this is in a position to even be all smoke without a hearth. Trump has bigger battles to wage, and this one could well also simply smartly simply be a manufactured irritation.

Working in her favor is the complex nature of replacing a Republican labor secretary who boasts strengthen from both enterprise groups and unions. As a Latina from a suburban swing district in Oregon, she got here to signify the gargantuan coalition who lifted Trump to a second time length. And with a slim GOP majority in the Senate, the president acquired’t be alive to for a affirmation fight.

“He doesn’t enjoy to are trying and hunt down somebody who’s acceptable to his constituents in unions, as well to his management-facet pursuits,” acknowledged Joseph Schmitt, a management-facet attorney with Nilan Johnson Lewis PA. “He used to be in a neighborhood to thread that needle as soon as.”

For now, the labor secretary’s standing with the president looks unshaken. White Dwelling spokesperson Taylor Rogers acknowledged Chavez-DeRemer has Trump’s “fat strengthen.”

In Thursday’s press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also affirmed Trump’s strengthen of the Labor Secretary.

The White Dwelling referred NBC News to press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s observation Thursday that Trump is attentive to the probe and “stands by the secretary.” Nonetheless she couldn’t ascertain whether or now not the president had spoken to Chavez-DeRemer in regards to the investigation.

“He thinks that she’s doing a noteworthy job at the Department of Labor on behalf of American workers,” Leavitt acknowledged in a press briefing Thursday.

Political watchers and analysts on all sides of the aisle are apathetic in regards to the place this IG investigation could well also lead or of Chavez-DeRemer’ fate could well also simply detached the allegations expose correct. 

On a most smartly-liked podcast, weak Biden 2020 advertising campaign regional communications director Hyma Moore acknowledged that “she hasn’t really done much to prove” that she helps Trump’s economic policies; my colleague at sister location Townhall, Larry O’Connor, agreed, announcing “I feel she’s performed,” while adding that “She has no constituency, essentially, to defend her.”

WATCH:

“What is Halperin’s 14th Rule of Washington?” Asks @MarkHalperin when discussing Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who’s reportedly under investigation for misconduct. The rule, says Mark, is that “if an investigative yarn that’s been planted goes from the New York Post to… pic.twitter.com/YBk108K9Hi

— 2WAY (@2waytvapp) January 14, 2026

The consensus: Chavez-DeRemer is on her plot out, but no one will more than seemingly be shedding tears. Not precisely popcorn-noteworthy, but rate staying tuned.

Editor’s Allege: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our colossal nation has when it comes to stopped. No topic the unconventional left’s lies, fresh regulations wasn’t essential to genuine our border, simply a brand fresh president.

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