Government paid discrimination claim related to office of ex-Rep. Chavez-DeRemer
Source: Roll Call
Posted January 30, 2026 at 5:34pm
The government paid nearly $100,000 to resolve an employment discrimination claim that arose from the former congressional office of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, according to a report from the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.
The OCWR annual report lists the amount of the award or settlement — $98,650 — and that it was tied to a part of federal statute that bans discrimination based on a worker’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status or age. The report was uploaded to the office’s website.
It’s the largest award or settlement from a House office since at least 2019, according to past reports, and the secretary’s was the only House office to have an employment discrimination claim payment in 2025. Awards and settlements that resolve a claims under a law are paid from a Treasury Department account that receives appropriations for that purpose, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
The report does not indicate whether Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican whose one term ended Jan. 3, 2025, was involved in the conduct related to her congressional office. But the OCWR lists “N/A” under several categories related to whether a member of Congress must reimburse the payment, indicating there was not a finding that discrimination was committed personally by Chavez-DeRemer. The Department of Labor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read more: https://rollcall.com/2026/01/30/government-paid-discrimination-claim-related-to-office-of-ex-rep-chavez-deremer/