Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao cleared the path for projects that would specifically benefit Kentucky and thus, her husband Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) ahead of his 2020 reelection bid.
According to Politico, these arranged grants ultimately topped $78 million.
Chao assigned her aide Todd Inman to be the special liaison for Kentucky projects, a perk that other states did not enjoy and which helped channel money and attention into the Bluegrass state.
McConnell has been able to use approved projects to tout his ability to bring money and resources into the state, bolstering his image locally before his run.
Modern day Pork - but even more corrupt, as it is out of the public view, no votes for which a ‘small govt’ guy could be held accountable, and only possible through nepotism via a cabinet secretary.
Go Home Mitch (and Sec. Chao), Kentucky beckons you, and hopefully the Kentucky electorate will call you home (or at least out of office) at the ballot box.
And this is separate from the issues reported last week, where friends and business associates of Chao’s family got multiple meetings with McConnell, arranged natch by Chao, for special favors allowing them to do business in KY.
I think the House Democrats need to add this to their Oversight Investigations and some Senate Democrats need to start raising hell about this. Perhaps the Insipid Senators from NY.
Agreed.
Because Trump needs McConnell, she is the one cabinet secretary who is safe from his whim/firing if/when s/he gets to much bad publicity and he thinks it makes him (Trump) and his administration look bad.
Moreover, transparency via the giant spotlight majority in the House has per their oversight/hearings power.
When miscreants do their evil they usually keep it up unless stopped. This isn’t rocket science…it isn’t even high school shop.
.By her efforts to get her Chinese relatives a seat at the trough as well, Elaine Chao grows the taxonomy of rats who board sinking ships. We have arrogant rats who think they’re single handedly saving the captain from himself, and greedy rats who’re pocketing away as many gold coins as she can swim with.
She joins hundreds of other problems who’re unaddressed by impeachment and can only be solved by throwing Rumppublicans the heck out of office,