'Such a f-ing distraction': Labor Department probe overshadows Trump's worker agency
Source: Politico
04/19/2026 04:00 PM EDT
President Donald Trump is staring down the prospect of filling another hole in his Cabinet — and one of his own appointees may end up forcing the issue.
Anthony D’Esposito, who leads the Labor Department’s in-house watchdog, has spent this year investigating damaging allegations against agency Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and her closest aides, a probe that has already prompted multiple people to resign from the agency.
Dozens of DOL staffers have spoken with D’Esposito’s office since he opened the internal inquiry in January, according to two department officials who were granted anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. Investigators are also poring over information pulled from travel records, department documents and subpoenas issued to outside parties, including hotels where Chavez-DeRemer stayed during official travel. The Labor secretary has denied wrongdoing.
The alleged culture in the secretary’s office and the inspector general’s digging has created an awkward dance for the two Trump appointees. That could prompt Chavez-DeRemer’s exit as the White House juggles multiple high-level vacancies and crises ahead of the midterms. A messy departure would also risk muddying the White House’s pro-worker campaign messaging and its efforts to stave off criticism of the president’s stewardship of the economy.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/19/chavez-deremer-labor-department-investigation-00879611