Labor Secretary’s Husband Barred From Department Over Sexual Assault Allegations: Reports

The husband of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has been barred from entering her department’s headquarters after at least two women accused him of sexual assault, according to multiple reports Thursday.

The women accused Shawn DeRemer, an anesthesiologist, of touching them inappropriately inside the building, according to The New York Times, which also reported that one of the alleged encounters was caught on camera on Dec. 18. The footage shows DeRemer giving a woman an extended hug, a source told the Times.

A report filed by the Metropolitan Police Department on Jan. 24 said a “complainant reported a sexual contact against her will” at the Labor Department, per Politico and The Wall Street Journal.

But DeRemer denied wrongdoing in a phone interview with the Journal.

“I have not done any of this and I categorically deny these things. I will absolutely categorically fight everything in this,” he told the outlet.

DeRemer has been barred from entering the Labor Department building following the allegations, according to the Times and The Wall Street Journal.

“If Mr. DeRemer attempts to enter, he is to be asked to leave,” a building restriction notice reads, per the Times.

The Labor Department did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment.

The accusations against DeRemer reportedly surfaced during an inspector general’s investigation into his wife over allegations that she was abusing her position by having an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security detail, drinking alcohol on the job and taking personal trips on the taxpayer’s dime. The secretary has denied the allegations reported by The New York Post.

Her top aides, chief of staff Jihun Han and deputy chief of staff Rebecca Wright, and the security staffer the secretary allegedly had a relationship with have been placed on administrative leave as a result of the inspector general’s investigation.

Chavez-DeRemer, who represented Oregon’s 5th District in the U.S. House for one term before losing reelection in 2024, was confirmed as labor secretary last March.