Nytimes: Labor Secretary’s Husband Barred From Department Premises

The nytimes coverage details that the husband of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has been barred from the Labor Department’s Washington headquarters after at least two female staff members said he touched them inappropriately; a police report and a building restriction notice are part of the public record, and investigators are pursuing both criminal and internal inquiries.

Nytimes: Building restriction notice

Documents described in nytimes coverage include a building restriction notice that instructs security staff to ask the man to leave if he attempts to enter the department’s offices. At least one incident is said to have taken place during working hours on the morning of Dec. 18 and was captured on office security cameras; the footage is reported to show an extended embrace and was reviewed as part of a criminal investigation.

A Metropolitan Police Department report filed on Jan. 24 documents a complaint of forced sexual contact in December at the department’s offices. The police department’s sexual assault unit is investigating that report, and the building restriction notice is in force while the probe continues.

Police and inspector general inquiries

After staff described the interactions to investigators, the husband was barred from entering the department’s premises. The inspector general’s office is also investigating wider allegations involving the secretary and members of her senior staff; those internal inquiries were raised in January and are said to cover alleged misconduct by the secretary and others.

The widening inquiry has prompted administrative actions: several aides and members of the security staff close to the secretary are on administrative or investigative leave. The inspector general has a formal complaint alleging an inappropriate sexual relationship between the secretary and a member of her security detail and other alleged abuses of office; the secretary’s lawyer has denied those particular allegations. The husband has denied the assault allegations in an interview, and department and legal representatives did not provide substantive comment when asked.

What comes next and outlook

Investigations are active on multiple fronts: a police sexual assault unit review of the December incident and an inspector general probe into workplace misconduct. If the police unit advances the inquiry to prosecutors, that could lead to criminal charges; if the inspector general substantiates workplace violations, it may result in administrative penalties or personnel actions. At this time it is unclear whether prosecutors will pursue charges and which specific outcomes the internal inquiry will recommend.

The developments add to a broader personnel and reputational challenge for the department. During the secretary’s tenure, department staffing changes and contested communications have drawn scrutiny; those trends are part of the context for how officials and investigators are treating the current allegations.

Key takeaways:

• The nytimes coverage highlights a building restriction notice and a police report tied to a Dec. 18 incident that was recorded on security cameras.
• Both the police sexual assault unit and the department’s inspector general are investigating; administrative leaves have been taken by aides and security staff.