Labor Secretary’s Spouse Banned from Headquarters Following Sexual Assault Allegations by Two Employees

The Hill reports that the Department of Labor (DOL) has prohibited Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s husband from entering its headquarters following allegations of sexual assault by two female staff members. According to The New York Times, these accusations led to the ban.

The allegations against Dr. Shawn DeRemer involve inappropriate touching within the DOL premises, with one incident captured by security cameras on December 18. The footage reportedly shows DeRemer embracing a woman for an extended period, which has been scrutinized as part of a criminal investigation, sources informed the Times.

Furthermore, the accusations emerged during an investigation by the DOL’s Office of Inspector General into possible misconduct involving Chavez-DeRemer and two senior staff members, as noted by another source familiar with the situation.

The New York Times also acquired a report from the Metropolitan Police Department filed last month, detailing an alleged forced sexual contact at the Labor Department. This case is currently under examination by the department’s sexual assault unit.

Following these events, a building restriction notice reviewed by the Times stated, “If Mr. DeRemer attempts to enter, he is to be asked to leave,” effectively enforcing the ban on his presence at the department’s headquarters.

The Hill has reached out to the DOL for comment.

The two staffers investigated for alleged misconduct, Chavez-DeRemer’s chief of staff Jihun Han and his deputy Rebecca Wright, were reportedly placed on leave amid the investigation into claims of personal trips with family and friends paid with taxpayer dollars, the New York Post and Politico reported. Chavez-DeRemer was also accused of having an affair with a subordinate and drinking on the job, the outlets wrote.

“There’s not an ounce of truth to this, and anyone who knows my wife would know that,” DeRemer said in a statement, the Post reported.

The DOL and White House also denied the allegations against Chavez-DeRemer. A DOL spokesperson told the Post that the “unsubstantiated allegations are categorically false.”