In Washington swamp, McConnell gets ‘the whole pig to grease the road to re-election’
After weeks of blistering criticism regarding his “impeachment stops with me” tour on conservative media, Senator Mitch McConnell refocused on his re-election and brought goodies home to Kentucky. During a press conference in Louisville, Senator McConnell reminded us that he is a big man on the Senate campus and “in the room” when the final budget busting items were slapped onto a $1.4 trillion appropriation bill. Nearly $1 billion is slated for Kentucky in the form of corporate tax breaks, military construction and other projects of interest to constituents and campaign donors. The Senator did not address, however, the millions in transportation funds his wife, Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao, steered to Kentucky in coordination with his current and former Senate staff. This blatant conflict of interest was so alarming, the former head of the Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub, tweeted: “This is the sort of thing that should lead to the impeachment of a corrupt official — that is, if her corrupt husband weren’t in a position to block that impeachment.”
A likely rebuttal is that Senator McConnell is merely doing his job providing necessary resources for his constituents. Incumbents, including Senator McConnell, flaunt this advantage over their opponents and cite this as why they should be reelected. During an election cycle, the pork gets packaged and distributed by those “in the room” regardless of whether it was approved by the other chamber or subject to debate. If you are the Senate Majority Leader married to the Secretary of Transportation you get the whole pig to grease the road to re-election.
Even if no laws were broken, the conflict is flashing neon considering Senator McConnell is up for re-election with dismal poll numbers. He desperately needs to demonstrate this year he remembers where Kentucky is on a map and deliver the goods to special interests keeping him competitive in November. Enter Owensboro, home to the taxpayer-funded Mitch McConnell Plaza and Walkway. Thanks to a revolving door between the McConnell-Chao offices, two of Secretary Chao’s top aides once worked for her husband. Politico reported that Secretary Chao’s chief-of-staff (hailing from Owensboro) coordinated directly with the senator’s office and local officials to smarten a transportation grant for his hometown.
The McConnell/Chao team delivered $11.5 million to Owensboro in December 2018 for a highway expansion and interstate spur. Senator McConnell showcased these taxpayer nuggets to Owensboro supporters, reminding them of the federal dollars delivered to their community through his influence.
The team struck again in Boone County, a traditional McConnell stronghold, with a $67.4 million transportation grant that initially did not meet criteria for approval but was shepherded over the finish line once again by former McConnell staffers planted within DOT.
Bringing money home to a state and/or district is part of a lawmaker’s job description and as Senate Majority Leader, Senator McConnell claims he does this better than anyone. For over three decades he has built a fiefdom of favor he springs to life every six years hoping to discourage anyone from challenging his tenure in Washington. Exploiting his connections to the Department of Transportation for his personal political ambitions is akin to insider trading and just as unethical. Far more damaging is the loss of integrity within the system and erosion of taxpayer confidence that federal dollars are expended fairly and in the public interest.
It is this dishonesty and sleight of hand that infests Washington. For those voters who bellow “drain the swamp”, they need look no further for one of its most prolific inhabitants. Each time Senator McConnell delivers his stump speech about how only he provides Kentucky “an advantage to punch above its weight,” voters should consider whether his ends justifies the means or whether the pork stops here.
Mary Woodward is a Republican who worked in the legislative and executive branches of government in Washington, DC for 32 years. She is retired and lives in Lexington.
This story was originally published January 16, 2020 at 9:25 AM.