Labor Secretary's Top Two Aides Resign Amid an Inspector General Travel-Fraud Investigation

Jihun Han, chief of staff to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright resigned on March 3, 2026, after being told their positions were being terminated. Both had been on administrative leave since mid-January. The Labor Department's inspector general is examining whether the two engaged in travel fraud by arranging official events that the secretary used as cover for personal travel. A separate formal complaint alleged that Chavez-DeRemer pursued an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate; her attorney has denied the allegation. A member of her security detail was also relieved of duties. The following day, the department's director of advance, Melissa Robey, was placed on administrative leave as the inquiry widened.

The episode involves the use of official travel and event budgets and the independence of an inspector general examining a sitting cabinet secretary's own office. The inspector general's office declined to confirm or deny the existence of any investigation, its standard practice.

The White House said Trump stood by Chavez-DeRemer while the inquiry continued. She resigned on April 20, 2026, after the investigation expanded.