Another shakeup in Trump’s cabinet: the labor minister resigned

US Labor Secretary Laurie Chavez-Dermer resigned tonight (between Monday and Tuesday) amid a series of scandals surrounding her. Her departure marks another shakeup for Trump’s cabinet – Chavez-Dermer is the third cabinet member to leave the administration in the last month.

• The White House communications director wrote on Network X tonight that Chávez-Dermer will leave the cabinet to move to a position in the private sector, but did not specify her new role. According to him, Deputy Minister of Labor Keith Sonderling will serve as acting head of the office.
• In a statement she released, Chávez-Dermer thanked the President of the United States Donald Trump and wrote that she was “proud that we greatly advanced the president’s vision.”

• Chavez-Dermer’s resignation comes after a series of scandals surrounding her, including a complaint filed with her office’s internal auditor.
• According to some claims, she had a romantic relationship with one of her security guards, and committed fraud in which she financed private trips with public funds under the guise of work trips. It is also alleged that she and her relatives sent inappropriate messages to young employees at the office. Two senior advisers resigned following the affair.
• The New York Times reported in February that Chavez-Dermer’s husband was barred from entering the Labor Department headquarters after two female employees accused him of sexual harassment.

• Chávez-Dermer expressed great loyalty to Trump during her tenure and even hung a large banner with the president’s face on the front of the Labor Department headquarters in Washington.
• The Washington Post reported that the business community was pleased with the former labor secretary’s performance, but her relationship with some unions was shaky, and she was criticized for her extensive travel.
• In the last month, 3 cabinet members left the Trump administration – Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noam, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Labor Secretary Chavez-Dermer. The departures come amid Trump’s desire to reshape the cabinet and his disappointment with some of his allies, and after a year of stability at the top of the administration.