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Why was Elaine Chao not investigated by Trump's DOJ? Mitch McConnell slammed for 'protecting criminal wife'

'Can't Elaine Chao still be criminally prosecuted? Maybe it's time for Mitch McConnell to start 'playing ball',' a user wrote on Twitter

The Transportation Department asked the Justice Department to investigate Elaine Chao late last year after it discovered that she had misused her office when she was the transportation secretary under former President Donald Trump but was rebuffed, according to a report released on Wednesday, February 3.

The report stated that in December 2002, the DOJ's criminal and public integrity divisions declined to take up the case for criminal prosecution following the inspector general’s findings that Chao inappropriately used her staff and office for personal tasks and to promote a shipping business owned by Chao’s father and sisters. The company does extensive business with China. "A formal investigation into potential misuses of position was warranted," deputy inspector general Mitch Behm wrote in a letter to lawmakers.

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Chao, the wife of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, stepped down from her job early this year in the last weeks of the Trump administration, citing her disapproval over the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol by Trump’s supporters.

In the report released on Wednesday, she did not respond to the allegations specifically but provided a September 2020 memo that argues promoting her family was an appropriate part of her official duties are the department. "Asian audiences welcome and respond positively to actions by the secretary that include her father in activities when appropriate," that memo said.

The report raised several ethical concerns. In one, Chao told political representatives in the department to reach the Homeland Security Department to personally check on the status of a work permit request for a student who was a beneficiary of her family’s philanthropic foundation. Chao also made extensive plans for an official trip to China in November 2017 before she canceled it. This included stops at places that had received support from her family’s business, the New York-based Foremost Group.

According to department emails, Chao directed her staff to include her relatives in the official events and high-level meetings during the trip. "Above all, let’s keep (the Secretary) happy," one of the department’s employees wrote to another staffer regarding Chao’s father. "If Dr Chao is happy, then we should be flying with a feather in our hat."

According to the report, she also directed the department’s public affairs staff to help her father in the marketing of his personal biography and to edit his Wikipedia page. She also used the staff to check on repairs of an object at a store for her father. The IG report said Justice Department officials eventually refused to take up a criminal review, saying there "may be ethical and/or administrative issues" but no proof to back possible criminal charges. As a result, the inspector general’s office said in the report that the investigation is closed "based on the lack of prosecutorial interest" from the Justice Department.

Rep Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House transportation committee, who requested the investigation, stated, "Public servants, especially those responsible for leading tens of thousands of other public servants, must know that they serve the public and not their family’s private commercial interests."

As soon as these details came to light, people started slamming her. An Internet user said, "Elaine Chao paid out bribes to Maine, Tennessee, and Alaska (Sen. Collins, Sen. Alexander, and Sen. Murkowski) following the first impeachment trial’s sham acquittal. Today’s news is not surprising." While another one said: "If it isn’t yet obvious why Moscow Mitch voted to acquit the criminal who incited an insurrection, look no further than his own wife Elaine Chao with massive corruption scandals that would expose them both. It’s about cover-ups as long as possible."

While requesting for an investigation, one person said, "We’ve always known that Moscow Mitch’s wife Elaine Chao abused the Transportation Dept to help serve her family’s corrupt shipping company, but now we know the MAGA regime ignored a referral from an IG to open a criminal investigation on her. Time to begin that investigation." Author Brigitte Gabriel said: "Looks like Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao were misusing her position of power to enhance their own wealth. SHOCKER."

Another one questioned: "Can't Elaine Chao still be criminally prosecuted? Maybe it's time for Mitch McConnell to start "playing ball"." While another one slammed Mitch and said, "@SenatorDurbin so is Mitch McConnell the Republican holding up the Merrick Garland vote? Protecting his criminal wife?"

These remarks were made by a third-person and individual organizations, MEAWW cannot confirm them independently nor does it support these claims. The respective references are linked in the article.