Trump’s top official accused of strip club visit on government trip using taxpayer money — Who is Lori Chavez-DeRemer?

An internal investigation has found evidence that US labor secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a senior figure in President Donald Trump’s administration, took members of her staff to a strip club during an official government trip, according to a report cited by The New York Post.

The finding comes from an inquiry conducted by the Department of Labor’s inspector general into allegations of misconduct against the secretary. The incident in question allegedly took place on April 18 last year, when Chavez-DeRemer was on a five-day official visit to her home state of Oregon.

According to the report, the trip included meetings with Oregon governor Tina Kotek, discussions with the chief executive of a local truck manufacturing company, and a tour of an Intel chip plant. During the visit, Chavez-DeRemer and members of her team are said to have gone to Angels PDX, a strip club located outside Portland.

Around $3k taxpayer money used

Travel vouchers reviewed by the Post show that the Oregon trip cost $2,890.06 to US taxpayers. This included $1,324.21 for transportation, $722 for lodging, $655 for meals, and $188.35 in miscellaneous expenses.

Chavez-DeRemer has denied the allegation. Her lawyer, Nick Oberheiden, said in a statement: “Secretary Chavez-DeRemer firmly denies any allegations of wrongdoing.”

The strip club allegation is not the only set of claims made against the secretary. On January 9, it was reported that a formal complaint had been lodged with the department’s inspector general, Anthony D’Esposito, accusing Chavez-DeRemer of abusing her authority.

The complaint alleged that she kept alcohol in her office, had an extramarital affair with a subordinate, and misused official travel. It also claimed that her staff were aware of these matters and were instructed to create work trips that allowed the secretary to spend time with friends and family.

The Department of Labor has said this step does not imply wrongdoing.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump was aware of the investigation and continued to support the secretary. “He’s aware of the internal investigation, and 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.”

The complaint also accused Chavez-DeRemer of “travel fraud”, alleging she favoured states where she had personal connections while pursuing a goal of visiting all 50 states in her first year. She reportedly visited 37 before a government shutdown halted travel.

Her husband, Dr Shawn DeRemer, has rejected claims of an affair.