A senior Home Democrat has requested the Transportation Division's inner watchdog to research whether Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao confirmed undue favoritism to Kentucky constituents of her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
On Friday, Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, the top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, wrote the DOT's inspector common asking him to probe any conflicts of curiosity Chao has. Particularly DeFazio cited two POLITICO stories, one detailing Chao's disproportionate number of meetings with Kentucky officers throughout her first yr in the place, and another suggesting she had designated a member of her senior employees to serve as some extent individual for Kentucky points, which the agency denies.
"I might anticipate Secretary Chao to satisfy with individuals from her house state more recurrently than other states, however the sheer quantity … is troubling,” Defazio stated. “Much more troubling is the incontrovertible fact that Senator McConnell’s marketing campaign touted the POLITICO article on social media.”
DeFazio's request to the inspector common also raised considerations about earlier reporting by the New York Occasions detailing Chao’s financial conflicts of curiosity associated to her household’s delivery business and her failure to divest from Vulcan Supplies Co.
A spokesperson for DOT, who requested anonymity consistent with the agency's apply underneath the Trump administration, dismissed the media stories, saying the allegations aired inside these stories "have been first raised by left wing advocacy teams and hashed out in the media, and the Division has beforehand absolutely responded to them."
"They're politically motivated and meant to waste time. While the Department will all the time be cooperative and aware of applicable requests, DOT seems to be forward to a prompt and ultimate decision of those questions," the spokesperson continued
Sam Graves of Missouri, the top Republican on the Home Transportation Committee, panned DeFazio's request as a "ridiculous attempt at a political hit job,” accusing the Democrats of “focusing more on taking place political rabbit holes” than “engaged on essential bipartisan infrastructure issues.”
Graves referred to as Chao “a consummate professional and effective transportation official.”
Article originally revealed on POLITICO Magazine
Src: Rep. Peter DeFazio calls for audit into Elaine Chao's Kentucky alleged favors
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