Labor secretary's top aides on administrative leave amid inspector general investigation: report

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer's top aides were placed on administrative leave amid an investigation by the department's inspector general into their conduct, according to a news report.

The probe centers on a complaint alleging Chavez-DeRemer had her aides create official events for her to facilitate her personal travel. And as a result, the secretary's chief of staff, Jihun Han, and his deputy, Rebecca Wright, were put on leave, two unnamed department officials told POLITICO.

The complaint also alleges that Chavez-DeRemer was having an affair with a subordinate and drank on the job, of which Han and Wright were allegedly aware, according to the New York Post.

Since taking office last March, Chavez-DeRemer has visited 37 states on more than 50 official trips. She had planned to visit all 50 states in her first year, but said those plans changed due to the record-breaking government shutdown.

Han did not respond to POLITICO's request for comment, and Wright could not immediately be reached for comment. DOL declined to comment on personnel matters.

It is unknown who will help run Chavez-DeRemer’s office in the meantime, or whether Han and Wright are still being paid. Their temporary removal is not indicative of any wrongdoing.

DOL and the White House have denied the accusations and said that Chavez-DeRemer is considering legal action against the person who filed the complaint.

A spokesperson for the DOL’s inspector general’s office told the Post regarding the probe: “It is the policy of the DOL OIG to neither confirm nor deny the existence or non-existence of any OIG investigation or complaint beyond what is published on our website.”

“DOL OIG remains committed to rooting out fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption through objective, independent oversight of the U.S. Department of Labor,” the spokesperson added.