Escalation: Third Aide Placed on Leave Amid Ongoing Probe

Melissa Robey, the Labor secretary’s director of advance, was placed on administrative leave while traveling with Lori Chavez-DeRemer in Hawaii on the department’s “America at Work” tour. Administrative leave keeps her on the payroll while the inspector general reviews the case.

Investigators are examining allegations that Robey misused travel funds, including expensing a multi-thousand-dollar limousine during a North Dakota trip and submitting excessive charges for vehicles and hotel stays. The review also focuses on claims that she, the secretary and others arranged official trips to cloak personal travel.

Robey had recently taken on a larger role in the secretary’s operation after other top aides were sidelined in January. Her removal further thins the team that runs the secretary’s events and travel as the probe widens.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources