IG report: Investigation of Elaine Chao was warranted over ‘potential misuses’ of office
A new inspector general’s report says former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao regularly used her government position for personal tasks and to help her family’s shipping business.
The 44-page document, prepared by the department’s deputy inspector general, included a letter recommending a formal investigation into Chao’s “potential misuses” of her position. But the Justice Department and U.S. attorney never opened an inquiry.
Chao, the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, served as former President Donald Trump’s transportation secretary for most of his term, but resigned on Jan. 7, the day after the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The inspector general accused Chao of multiple ethics violations, including inviting family members on an official trip to China, which was later canceled, using her public affairs office to help promote a book written by her father and using department resources to complete personal tasks and errands. It also said she repeatedly tapped staff to perform tasks for her family’s shipping company, Foremost Group.
When given the chance to respond to the report, Chao said she had nothing to add beyond a previously submitted memo detailing the “importance of Asian cultural values to the success and effectiveness of Secretary Elaine L. Chao.”
The inspector general found no evidence that Chao steered disproportionate amounts of money to Kentucky, but it did say she leveraged her office’s power on behalf of her family.
Of particular focus was a planned trip to China in 2017, when Chao planned to include family members -- her father, sister and sister’s husband -- at several stops throughout the country, including at schools that received support from her family’s international shipping business.
The report also outlines how Chao directed staff to support the marketing of her father’s personal biography, including updating his Wikipedia page and soliciting a foreword for the book from a CEO of an American company.
Personal tasks directed by Chao are also listed in the report, such as directing staff to ship Christmas ornaments and perform everyday errands.
“A review of Department emails also revealed several instances where the secretary directed her staff to research and/or purchase personal items for her online, to include searching for free shipping and coupon codes,” the report reads.
Democrats, and some legal analysts, lamented that a formal inquiry was never lodged.
“There can be legitimate reasons to decline a case, like lack of admissible evidence or prosecution in other venues, but on its face, this is deeply troubling and requires further inquiry into whether this was about politics, not justice,” said Joyce Vance, a University of Alabama professor and NBC News legal analyst.
This story was originally published March 4, 2021 at 11:31 AM.
