By Gabe Whisnant
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The husband of U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez‑DeRemer has been barred from entering department headquarters after at least two female staff members alleged that he sexually assaulted them inside the building, according to people familiar with the decision and a police report reviewed by The New York Times.
The women told investigators that Dr. Shawn DeRemer, the labor secretary’s husband, touched them inappropriately at the department’s Constitution Avenue offices, the newspaper reported. One of the alleged incidents occurred during working hours on the morning of December 18 and was captured by office security cameras, according to people briefed on the matter.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Labor via email as well as to an email address listed for DeRemer on Thursday night for comment.
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Security Video Reviewed in Criminal Investigation
According to the Times, video footage showed DeRemer giving one of the women what was described as an extended embrace. The footage was reviewed as part of a criminal investigation, one of the people said.
In January, the women’s allegations were raised during an internal investigation by the department’s inspector general that is examining potential misconduct involving Chavez‑DeRemer and senior members of her staff, the newspaper reported.
DeRemer, 57, is an anesthesiologist based in Portland, Oregon, and had frequently visited his wife’s Washington offices, according to the Times. He is also president and founder of Anesthesia Associates Northwest.
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Police Investigating Forced Sexual Contact
On January 24, the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington filed a report alleging forced sexual contact at the Labor Department in December, according to the police report viewed by the Times. A police spokesman told the newspaper that the report was the only one linked to the department’s address in the past three months.
The department’s sexual assault unit is investigating the allegations, police said.
After the women spoke with investigators, DeRemer was formally barred from entering Labor Department property, according to people familiar with the decision who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case and ongoing investigations, the Times reported.
“If Mr. DeRemer attempts to enter, he is to be asked to leave,” a building restriction notice reviewed by the newspaper stated.
Wider Misconduct Investigation Engulfs Department
The allegations involving the labor secretary’s husband arrive amid a widening misconduct investigation at the department.
According to multiple national news outlets, several aides and members of the secretary’s security detail have been placed on administrative or investigative leave. The inspector general is examining a formal complaint alleging that Chavez‑DeRemer had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a subordinate who was part of her security detail and misused her office, the Times reported.
The complaint also alleges that Chavez‑DeRemer took staff to strip clubs, consumed alcohol while on duty and used taxpayer funds for personal travel, according to the Times and other outlets. Her lawyer has denied the allegations.
President Donald Trump nominated Chavez‑DeRemer as labor secretary in late 2024, and she was confirmed in March 2025. She served as a Republican member of Congress from Oregon before losing reelection in 2024. Chavez-DeRemer was mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, from 2011 to 2019.
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