House Panel Probing DOT Chief Chao Over Alleged Ethics Lapses
- Benefit to shipping company owned by her family investigated
- Chao’s office says ‘media attacks’ on her family are stale
The House Oversight committee is investigating whether Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao used her office to improperly benefit a shipping company owned and controlled by her family, the panel disclosed in a letter to Chao on Monday.
The panel asked Chao to provide it with documents and information for the probe, including communications between Chao or other DOT officials and employees of the Foremost Group, a shipping company founded by Chao’s father James Chao and led by her sister Angela Chao. Among the issues the committee is examining are Chinese media appearances Chao made alongside her father while in office, and a planned 2017 trip to China that was scrapped after ethics officials questioned attempts by Chao to include her family members in meetings with the Chinese government, according to the letter, which cited a New York Times report.