A watchdog report released this week alleges that former Trump Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, alongside a supervisor on her protective detail, subjected a government driver to unwelcome conduct during an incident at an Oregon strip club in April 2025. The report concluded that Chavez-DeRemer and the supervisor, Brian Sloan, violated the agency's anti-harassment rules.
According to the report, Chavez-DeRemer requested an "off-the-record" stop at a venue that featured partially nude dancers. She then directed the driver to pour cash over a performer. When the driver refused twice, Sloan instructed him to comply. The driver eventually did so, and Sloan reportedly warned him not to discuss the event before reporting it the following day.
The strip club incident was part of a broader investigation that included interviews with 53 current and former Labor Department employees. Thirty-eight witnesses described Chavez-DeRemer's office environment as "toxic, intimidating and humiliating," with accusations that top aides berated employees and threatened their jobs.
The watchdog also found that Chavez-DeRemer maintained an "inappropriately close relationship" with Sloan. Investigators reviewed private encrypted text messages, noted physical familiarity and contact outside working hours, and hotel records suggesting they spent nights in each other's rooms. Surveillance footage also captured Sloan leaving her Washington apartment building. However, investigators stated they did not find sufficient direct evidence to establish a romantic or sexual relationship between them.
The report also substantiated claims of improper personal travel billed as government business, unauthorized drinking on federal property, the misuse of employees for private errands, and failures to report gifts.
Chavez-DeRemer resigned from her position on April 20, one day before her scheduled interview with the report's investigators. She had previously dismissed allegations as "attempts of distraction and attacks on her personal life." Her lawyer, Nick Oberheiden, stated that the report confirms Chavez-DeRemer did not violate any laws.