Sec Elaine Chao Appointed Liaison to Facilitate Husband Mitch McConnell's Kentucky Priorities

Hard to fit it in a title but the gist of what happened here is that Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who is also facing questions about possible ethics violations involving using her position to benefit her family's business, apparently appointed a staffer to serve as a liaison to smooth the way to getting funding for husband Mitch McConnell's pet projects in his home state of Kentucky.

Chao created special path for McConnell’s favored projects

The Transportation Department under Secretary Elaine Chao designated a special liaison to help with grant applications and other priorities from her husband Mitch McConnell’s state of Kentucky, paving the way for grants totaling at least $78 million for favored projects as McConnell prepared to campaign for reelection.

Chao’s aide Todd Inman, who stated in an email to McConnell’s Senate office that Chao had personally asked him to serve as an intermediary, helped advise the senator and local Kentucky officials on grants with special significance for McConnell — including a highway-improvement project in a McConnell political stronghold that had been twice rejected for previous grant applications.

Beginning in April 2017, Inman and Chao met annually with a delegation from Owensboro, Ky., a river port with long connections to McConnell, including a plaza named in his honor. At the meetings, according to participants, the secretary and the local officials discussed two projects of special importance to the river city of 59,809 people — a plan to upgrade road connections to a commercial riverport and a proposal to expedite reclassifying a local parkway as an Interstate spur, a move that could persuade private businesses to locate in Owensboro.

Inman, himself a longtime Owensboro resident and onetime mayoral candidate who is now Chao’s chief of staff, followed up the 2017 meeting by emailing the riverport authority on how to improve its application. He also discussed the project by phone with Al Mattingly, the chief executive of Daviess County, which includes Owensboro, who suggested Inman was instrumental in the process.

The circumstances surrounding the Owensboro grant and another, more lucrative grant to Boone County, highlight the ethical conflicts in having a powerful Cabinet secretary married to the Senate’s leader and in a position to help him politically. McConnell has long touted his ability to bring federal resources to his state, which his wife is now in a position to assist.

Chao’s designation of Inman as a special intermediary for Kentucky — a privilege other states did not enjoy — gave a special advantage to projects favored by her husband, which could in turn benefit his political interests. In such situations, ethicists say, each member of a couple benefits personally from the success of the other.

So they got this twice-rejected grant proposal passed with his wife putting her finger on the scale and then he immediately took credit for it while launching his reelection campaign... because these crooks have gotten so brazen in their corruption that they don't give a second thought to flaunting it:

In fact, days after launching his 2020 reelection campaign McConnell asked Owensboro’s mayor to set up a luncheon with business and political leaders at which the senator claimed credit for delivering the grant.

“How about that $11 million BUILD grant?” McConnell asked the crowd rhetorically, according to the Owensboro Times. He then recalled his role in securing earlier grants to the city, adding, “It’s done a lot to transform Owensboro, and I was really happy to have played a role in that.”

It should be obvious folks, this is not how things are supposed to work. The Transportation Secretary isn't supposed to be giving preferential treatment to the state her senator husband represents. That's money that your state or mine might otherwise receive for our own projects. It seems abundantly clear that this is what has happened. The fact that it looks timed to coincide with McConnell launching his reelection campaign makes it just that much worse.

Elaine Chao is corrupt and she needs to go.

a reply to: theantediluvian

What an ass!

Who does he think he is, a Democrat?!?

Seriously though, it would be nice if these crooks on both sides of the aisle are rooted out and charged.

Be nice if the media covered crap like this within both parties instead of just giving cover for one.

Not really gonna happen, but would be nice.

Hopefully Mitch loses his reelection bid to an actual conservative.

The crooked wife should go too.

This can't be that big of a deal considering the Uranium One mess. Let me know when this isn't a partisan issue and becomes a real issue that hits both sides of the aisle.

perhaps an investigation is in order. or is that wrong?

Has every part of the reports been released unredacted ?

We need the full unredacted facts.

How else can anybody determine anything ? 😃

I have to laugh a bit...bias responses to bias OP author. Yep ATS working as intended alright!

I will say this, nearly every conservative that exists dislikes the guy. With the odd exception of those in Kentucky. I guess?

I would not be surprised if he has made millions in his access to China as well.

I don't think he is a friend of Trump. I can say that and mean it.

a reply to: Lumenari

Who does he think he is, a Democrat?!?

No sweetie.. republican through and through

Face palm

originally posted by: tinner07
a reply to: Lumenari

Who does he think he is, a Democrat?!?

No sweetie.. republican through and through

Face palm

Oh I'm sure he has an R after his name sweety.

Because if he had a D there nobody would be reporting that he's a crooked bastard.

Sorry... I didn't think I had to explain what I meant.

Takes all kinds though and I hope you have a wonderful day.

a reply to: theantediluvian

I don't care for McConnell, but....

Isn't it the Job of a State's Senator to do the best for his State that he can?

including a highway-improvement project in a McConnell political stronghold that had been twice rejected for previous grant applications.

So he is improving infrastructure? I don't see the Problem. Since she is head of the Transportation Department, is that her goal also? To improve roads?

Seems like they both are doing what they should be doing for their State.

a reply to: theantediluvian

I know her, Elaine Chao. Real nice person, authentic, very down to earth.

A damned shame if this is true.

a reply to: Lumenari

Oh I'm sure he has an R after his name sweety. Because if he had a D there nobody would be reporting that he's a crooked bastard. Sorry... I didn't think I had to explain what I meant. Takes all kinds though and I hope you have a wonderful day.

The thing is, he does not have a D after his name does he? Of the first five or six responses to the OP... everybody seems Ok with it.

You were the first to say anything about throwing him out but not before you got your Dem slam in there...

So No, he does not think he is a Democrat. he is a republican and that is what they do....

Why do you have to bring up democrats? name an instance like this?

She is a trump appointee isnt she/

So you want a trump appointee jailed?

a reply to: highvein

So he is improving infrastructure? I don't see the Problem. Since she is head of the Transportation Department, is that her goal also? To improve roads? Seems like they both are doing what they should be doing for their State.

if she works for the Federal Gov;t, I am thinking it is no longer 'her state'....She works for the country.

Why did they not do that 2 years ago? why wait until election time?

It is obvious to anybody that does not suffer from trump is the messiah syndrome... so you wont understand

a reply to: theantediluvian

This certainly has the stink of the kind of cronyism and political back scratching that needs to be rooted out and tossed on the compost pile. I don't care what letter someone attaches to their name in regards to political persuasion, do your frikkin job with honor and integrity or get tossed out on your ear.

a reply to: Lumenari

Takes all kinds...

And we get most of them in here.

originally posted by: tinner07
a reply to: Lumenari

Oh I'm sure he has an R after his name sweety. Because if he had a D there nobody would be reporting that he's a crooked bastard. Sorry... I didn't think I had to explain what I meant. Takes all kinds though and I hope you have a wonderful day.

The thing is, he does not have a D after his name does he? Of the first five or six responses to the OP... everybody seems Ok with it.

You were the first to say anything about throwing him out but not before you got your Dem slam in there...

So No, he does not think he is a Democrat. he is a republican and that is what they do....

Why do you have to bring up democrats? name an instance like this?

She is a trump appointee isnt she/

So you want a trump appointee jailed?

You poor thing.

I was commenting about the obvious bias of the sources in the OP as well as the history of the poster.

Democrats are every bit as crooked as Republicans... sometimes even more.

However, let's focus on one side because that's not our team, right?

Why not just focus on who is a crook and not the party they are in?

So to you, Republicans are crooked but you are upset that I mentioned that Democrats are too...

Nevermind... you didn't understand that I said good night and was done with you in the last post and you are surely not going to understand that the Democratic party has the same crooks taking the same money from the same people but THAT's ok with the media and most importantly, the Democratic voting base.

You also probably won't understand that we are in the middle of unpacking the biggest political scandal in our history and it appears to been done by Democrats.

But hey!

Go team D!!! By Any Means Necessary!!!

/facepalm

originally posted by: tinner07
a reply to: highvein

So he is improving infrastructure? I don't see the Problem. Since she is head of the Transportation Department, is that her goal also? To improve roads? Seems like they both are doing what they should be doing for their State.

if she works for the Federal Gov;t, I am thinking it is no longer 'her state'....She works for the country.

Why did they not do that 2 years ago? why wait until election time?

And what is the title of her job again?

And does that make Kentucky no longer eligible for grants, because of who is in the position?

It is obvious to anybody that does not suffer from trump is the messiah syndrome... so you wont understand

Ha ha. You brought up Trump. That guy takes up a lot of space in your mind. One could say as much space as someone you might consider being the messiah, which would in turn mean that you don't understand.

a reply to: Lumenari

I was commenting about the obvious bias of the sources in the OP as well as the history of the poster.

OK... If I ever see you say anything about the daily anti-dem posts... due to the history of the poster... I might take your responses more seriously

a reply to: highvein

And what is the title of her job again? And does that make Kentucky no longer eligible for grants, because of who is in the position? It is obvious to anybody that does not suffer from trump is the messiah syndrome... so you wont understand Ha ha. You brought up Trump. That guy takes up a lot of space in your mind. One could say as much space as someone you might consider being the messiah, which would in turn mean that you don't understand.

No it does not make Kentucky eligible for grants. I reckon you would justify giving ivanka trumps business special tax breaks and see no conflict of interest?

I brought up trump because she was appointed by him....maybe you did not know that. Sometimes when speaking of the gov't the president is mentioned...

And thats all you have for a response?

Sorry I triggered you.

a reply to: tinner07

No it does not make Kentucky eligible for grants.

Your saying that they are ineligible for grants then? lol.

I reckon you would justify giving ivanka trumps business special tax breaks and see no conflict of interest?

What business's where given tax breaks?

I brought up trump because she was appointed by him....maybe you did not know that. Sometimes when speaking of the gov't the president is mentioned...

You brought up Trump as being a messiah. Separation of Church and State seems to evade your ramblings. Your disingenuousness is on another level all together.

Sorry I triggered you.

Why are you apologizing to me? Did you think this was more than a conversation? You must be a highly emotional individual to think a political conversation has that effect on everyone. It only affects the one's who get butthurt over it.

a reply to: highvein

The problem here is the preferential treatment for Kentucky.

So he is improving infrastructure? I don't see the Problem. Since she is head of the Transportation Department, is that her goal also? To improve roads?

Seems like they both are doing what they should be doing for their State.

Elaine Chao is the United States Secretary of Transportation.