When Donald Trump and his team were assembling their second term Cabinet, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer appeared to be one of their least controversial choices. The Oregon Republican, tapped to lead the Department of Labor, was ultimately confirmed with 67 votes, including more than a dozen Senate Democrats, which reflected fairly broad support in this Congress.

A year later, however, the labor secretary’s troubles are serious — and multiplying.

The New York Times reported on the latest allegations, including a series of reported incidents in which Chavez-DeRemer, her relatives and her top aides “routinely” sent personal messages and requests to young staff members. The whole mess has attracted the scrutiny of the Labor Department’s inspector general. From the article:

In text messages that have been reviewed by The New York Times, Ms. Chavez-DeRemer and her former deputy chief of staff asked employees to bring wine to them during trips for the department. Sometimes the requests came in the middle of the workday.

Ms. Chavez-DeRemer’s husband exchanged text messages with young female staff members, as did her father. Some of the young women were instructed by Ms. Chavez-DeRemer and the former deputy chief of staff to ‘pay attention’ to the men, according to people familiar with the investigation.

The Times’ report, which has not been independently verified by MS NOW, highlighted one especially unsettling example from a year ago in which the labor secretary’s father wrote to a young female staff member, “Hearing u/r in town. Wishing you would let me know. I could have made some excuses to get out and show u around. Please keep this private.”

The report comes just a week after MS NOW reported at least three department employees have lodged formal workplace discrimination complaints against Chavez-DeRemer, “alleging she created a toxic workplace and sought to retaliate against women who reported her husband for sexual misconduct in her office.”

MS NOW’s report added two of the complaints were filed by young female staffers who have alleged Chavez-DeRemer’s husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, “subjected them to unwanted sexual touching late last year when they were working at U.S. Department of Labor offices.”

A series of related allegations, reported by various outlets in recent months, claim Chavez-DeRemer had “an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate,” engaged in travel fraud and that the department barred her husband from entering the building.

In February, Chavez-DeRemer’s lawyer issued a statement in response to those reports that read in part, “Secretary Chavez-DeRemer cannot comment publicly beyond a general denial.” The labor secretary and her husband did not immediately respond to the Times’ request for comment on its latest reporting.

Last year, the labor secretary started facing some calls for her resignation. The new allegations will almost certainly make her political standing even shakier.

The post Chavez-DeRemer’s controversies intensify, putting her future at the Labor Department in doubt appeared first on MS NOW.

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From MS Now.