An inquiry conducted by the inspector general of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s department has uncovered evidence suggesting that she accompanied staff to a strip club during an official work trip, a new report claims.
Last spring, Chavez-DeRemer was on a five-day visit to her home state of Oregon to engage with Governor Tina Kotek and the CEO of a local truck manufacturing company, as well as to tour an Intel chip plant. During this trip, her team took a break to visit the Angels PDX club located outside of Portland on April 18, according to The New York Post.
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All on expenses
Travel vouchers reveal that the total expense incurred for the trip to Oregon for US taxpayers amounted to $2,890.06. This total included $1,324.21 for transportation, $722 for lodging, $655 for meals, and $188.35 for miscellaneous expenses, as stated by the Post.
Chavez-DeRemer rejects any wrongdoing
“Secretary Chavez-DeRemer firmly denies any allegations of wrongdoing,” stated her lawyer, Dr. Nick Oberheiden, in a statement addressing the allegations related to the strip club.
“Her utmost priority remains to advance President Trump’s agenda by continuing her hard and successful work for the betterment of the American people.”
Allegations against Chavez-DeRemer
The recent development follows a report from January 9 stating that a formal complaint was filed against the secretary with the Department of Labor’s inspector general, Anthony D’Esposito. The complaint accused her of misusing her authority, keeping a supply of alcohol in her office, and engaging in an extramarital relationship with a subordinate.
The allegations stated that Chavez-DeRemer’s Chief of Staff, Jihun Han, and Deputy Chief of Staff, Rebecca Wright, were “involved and have knowledge of these issues” and had reportedly been instructed by the secretary to create fictitious work trips for her, allowing her to spend time with friends and family.
Three days later, Han and Wright were placed on temporary administrative leave, a measure that does not suggest any wrongdoing on their part.
Speaking about the probe against the Labour Secretary, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump is aware of the internal probe, adding that “he stands by the secretary, and he thinks that she’s doing a tremendous job at the Department of Labor on behalf of American workers.”