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Trump Is Right. Mitch McConnell And Elaine Chao Spent Decades Getting ‘Rich On China’
The Federalist ^ | AUGUST 24, 2022 | JORDAN BOYD

Posted on 10/01/2022 6:56:47 AM PDT by JayGalt

For decades, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao have maintained a glaring conflict of interest, conducting extensive government business despite the Chao family’s deep ties to China through a maritime shipping company. Now, former President Donald Trump is calling attention to the top Republican’s problematic China ties, while most of Washington remains silent.

“Why do Republicans Senators allow a broken down hack politician, Mitch McConnell, to openly disparage hard working Republican candidates for the United States Senate[?]” Trump asked in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “This is such an affront to honor and to leadership. He should spend more time (and money!) helping them get elected, and less time helping his crazy wife and family get rich on China!”

It didn’t take long for the corporate media to mock Trump’s assertion, framing his legitimate criticism of McConnell and Chao as unfair and unjust. Some outlets such as Vanity Fair even hinted that Trump’s comments were revenge against Chao for resigning from the Trump administration following the 2021 Capitol riot and subsequently cooperating with the illegitimate Jan. 6 Committee.

(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Kentucky; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: angelachao; corruption; government; kentucky; mitchmcconnell; senate; texas; trump
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Trump’s criticism of McConnell and Chao, however, is not something to be taken lightly. For years, the McConnell and Chao families have maintained a symbiotic relationship that grants opportunities to the Chaos’ shipping company, Foremost Group, which largely operates in and on behalf of communist China.

This reciprocity is well documented, but unlike with Hunter Biden, there is less scrutiny from observers, including those on the right, for this “corruption by proxy,” as author and Government Accountability Institute President Peter Schweizer calls it. As Schweizer documented in his 2018 book “Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends,” McConnell took a strong stance against China before his marriage into the Chao family. According to Schweizer, it was a 1994 trip arranged by James Chao, McConnell’s father-in-law, and sponsored by China State Shipbuilding Corp. (CSSP), one of the CCP’s largest military contractors and reportedly an unofficial arm of the CCP navy, to meet the Chinese president that pushed McConnell to “increasingly avoid public criticism of China.”

That’s likely because Chao and her family are well-connected in communist China thanks to her father’s company. Foremost is technically based out of New York but largely operates out of China, where at least 70 percent of its freight, mostly industrial, is delivered. Not only are a majority of Foremost’s ships built in state-owned shipyards, but some are even financed by the Chinese Communist Party. They are then used to deliver cargo outlined in contracts with the communist government, which has clearly stated goals to rapidly expand its industries to compete with the U.S.

Foremost and the Chao family have benefitted from loans estimated to be between $350,000 and $1 million from the U.S. government and loans from Chinese banks known by the Trump administration as threats. Again, this is a company owned by the father-in-law of America’s top congressional Republican and the father of the former transportation secretary. Not only do Chao’s father and sister Angela Chao still share leadership over Foremost, but the pair also once sat on the board of an offshoot of the CSSP together.

This trend of the Chao family expanding their influence in China only continued as McConnell and his wife burrowed deeper into the American political system. When Trump named Chao head of the Department of Transportation in January of 2017, her family publicly rejoiced — likely at the opportunity to further their business interests. That same month, Chao’s sister Angela was named independent non-executive director of the CCP-affiliated Bank of China.

1 posted on 10/01/2022 6:56:47 AM PDT by JayGalt
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To: JayGalt

The biggest evidence for this came in 2008. Just one year after James Chao joined CSSC Holdings, in addition to running Foremost, McConnell received a “gift” of $5 to $25 million from his father-in-law. As Politico reported, that payment significantly bumped McConnell’s net worth, which was measured at around $3.1 million in 2004, to between $9.2 million and $36.5 million in 2014.

Several members of Chao’s family, including Angela and James, also contributed more than $1 million to McConnell’s re-election campaigns. In other words, the founder of an unofficial arm of our top adversary’s navy is helping keep McConnell in U.S. leadership. According to Schweizer, these kinds of payments could have been money designed to keep a favorable relationship between McConnell and the Chao family.


2 posted on 10/01/2022 6:57:44 AM PDT by JayGalt (For evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing.”)
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To: JayGalt

Mitch McConnell got rich through government access and hates the guy who got rich in the free market.


3 posted on 10/01/2022 7:00:27 AM PDT by ArcadeQuarters (Remember the 2020 backstabbers. No more RINOs ever!)
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To: JayGalt
That’s likely because Chao and her family are well-connected in communist China thanks to her father’s company.

So are most Taiwanese elites - that’s why all this talk of invasion is not realistic. The reunification deal is pretty much done, they are just waiting for the right moment to start phasing it in so as not to panic the Taiwanese public. Events in Hong Kong set the schedule back a little bit so they have to be more cautious. Xi’s nationalist backers may be chomping at the bit, but he knows well enough not to screw up a good deal by rushing it when it is inevitable.

4 posted on 10/01/2022 7:02:47 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: JayGalt

Cocaine Mitch.

What a leader. /s


5 posted on 10/01/2022 7:03:05 AM PDT by sauropod (Unbelief has nothing to say. Chance favors the prepared mind.)
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To: JayGalt
Actually, Mitch McConnell And Elaine Chao Spent Decades Getting ‘Rich On China’ by making the rest of Americans poor and damaging America's national security.
6 posted on 10/01/2022 7:12:15 AM PDT by rdcbn1
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To: JayGalt

Key point: At the expense of Americans.

The conclusion ought to be patently obvious.


7 posted on 10/01/2022 7:17:05 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: JayGalt

thanks for this. I’ll read it later today.


8 posted on 10/01/2022 7:18:36 AM PDT by JonPreston
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To: rdcbn1

That’s the worst part. American politicians sold out the American economy - and people - to enrich themselves.

Trump saw through that, and worked to get the government working for the people again

That is really the only reason they hate him so much.

Most of the ‘pubs in Washington are on the same gravy train.


9 posted on 10/01/2022 7:21:21 AM PDT by Fido969 (45 is Superman! )
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To: JayGalt

Also the Bush family became wealthy in the oil business doing favors for the Saudis. Explains why Iraq was invaded (at the time the prime threat to the Saudi regime) and the Saudis who were fully aware of the 9/11 plot, were never held accountable. Given most of the post Reagan Republican leadership, its no mystery why the likes of Pelosi, Biden, Cuomo and others are not held accountable for their corruption and decadence. as a result the american nation weakens.


10 posted on 10/01/2022 7:26:22 AM PDT by allendale
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To: JayGalt

Yet, with the obvious lifelong connnection and corruption, even Trump named her a cabinet secretary and he supported McConnell. The inconsistent talk and walk bothers me.


11 posted on 10/01/2022 7:27:13 AM PDT by Reno89519 (FJB. Respect America, Embrace America, Buy American, Hire American.)
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To: Reno89519

I guess you must be a very straight arrow which is good.

To succeed in the building trade in NYC you need to understand deals. Unions insist on deadwood being hired all the time. It is not a just world. Sometimes you make a payoff to get things done. I am sorry this bothers you.
I think it’s better to know the truths and to analyze the world according to what really happens not what you (and I) believe should happen.

A truly straight arrow would not be an effective President. Not as successful as an honorable man who loves America & Americans and will do what he needs to do to keep America safe & make America great for all Americans.


12 posted on 10/01/2022 7:34:07 AM PDT by JayGalt (For evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing.”)
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To: JayGalt

AOC was a bartender that could barely make it even after stealing other people’s tips. Now she’s a millionaire accused of laundering money. It’s the American Congress way of getting rich. Pelosi gets insider information and passes it on to her crime family.


13 posted on 10/01/2022 7:37:56 AM PDT by George J. Jetso
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To: Reno89519

Trump knew what she was. That was part of his deal with Mitch. He has made an awful lot of poor choices, many of them from his advisors....politics is a workplace environment where you work with snakes. Trump is all about saving America but he makes too many choices based on popularity versus nixing others opinion on feedback. When you make omelets in DC, dont worry about breaking friendships, they are as fragile as eggs and in DC, your DC friends will screw you for their personal benefit.


14 posted on 10/01/2022 7:39:03 AM PDT by Michigan Bowhunter
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To: JayGalt

Trump called McConnell a “broken down hack politician”. It is language like this that makes me question Trump as a leader—name calling is not a good way to go, President Trump. I wish you would just stop, please! Get your point across without this low brow language.


15 posted on 10/01/2022 7:39:26 AM PDT by rod5591
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To: allendale

The Bush-Walker family fortune was well-established before GHW Bush made an additional fortune in Texas oil. Bush family connections to Saudis came much later, when Saudis already had oil money.


16 posted on 10/01/2022 7:40:24 AM PDT by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: JayGalt
"Secret Empires" should be required reading.

"Heather Has 2 Mommies" should not.

17 posted on 10/01/2022 7:40:38 AM PDT by Eagles6 (Welcome to the Matrix . Orwell's "1984" was a warning, not an instruction manual.)
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To: rod5591

Sorry.
The truth is not always pretty but without the truth we are lost. Telling the truth in a way that causes comment furthers the dissemination of that truth.
I question your premise. I think that it is the willingness to take the heat for exposing sacred cows that makes Trump a leader. Any choirboy can make nice.


18 posted on 10/01/2022 7:42:23 AM PDT by JayGalt (For evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing.”)
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To: Eagles6

👍👍👍


19 posted on 10/01/2022 7:46:10 AM PDT by JayGalt (For evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing.”)
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To: ArcadeQuarters

Indeed most in D.C. don’t like self made people they enjoy corruption by proxy where all get a slice of the cake.
But you have the third side like the Biden and Clinton cartels.


20 posted on 10/01/2022 7:46:59 AM PDT by Vaduz ( )
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