{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Support","color":"#2ca788","stance":"support"},{"text":"Oppose","color":"#ef3e42","stance":"oppose"}],"id":34497,"title":"House Oversight Committee Launches Ethics Probe Into Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao","html_content":"

by Axios | 9.16.19

The House Oversight Committee on Monday launched an ethics investigation into Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.

The big picture: Reports allege Chao has used her position to benefit Foremost Group, a shipping company owned by her sisters and father. Chao is also accused of continuing to own stock in a construction company called Vulcan even after claiming before her confirmation that she would divest. Federal law prohibits sitting officials from using their positions to privately benefit themselves or others.

According to a letter from Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the investigation will probe decisions by the Department of Transportation to de-prioritize or reduce funding for programs that benefited U.S.-flagged vessels in foreign trade. Chao's family company owns entirely foreign-flagged ships.
Chao is also accused of trying to elevate the company's influence with the Chinese government. Chao appeared in Chinese-media interviews alongside her father, James Chao, who boasted about his access to President Trump, according to Politico.

What they're saying:

“The Committee is examining your misstatements of fact, your actions that may have benefited the company in which you continued to hold shares, and your compliance with ethics and financial disclosure requirements.” --Cummings and Krishnamoorthi

What's next: Chao has until Sept. 30 to turn over documents and communications related to the committee's lines of inquiry.

Go deeper: 70% of Americans believe the political system is rigged

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Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":44520,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1516,"following_count":81,"position_count":538,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null},{"name":"Celiaann","vote_count":152,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/mE5zRvGL/large_me5zrvgl-1559254820.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/mE5zRvGL/small_me5zrvgl-1559254820.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/mE5zRvGL/tiny_me5zrvgl-1559254820.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/mE5zRvGL/following","followers":"/api/users/mE5zRvGL/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":27,"is_following":null,"influence_score":810,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":31,"following_count":105,"position_count":135,"id":"mE5zRvGL","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1036743,"body":"I support it but what good is it. We are just sitting here watching this administration laugh at our constitution, laugh at any law they don’t like and continuously lining their pockets with money. ","parent_type":"Article","parent_id":34497,"created_at":"2019-09-17T20:15:29.945Z","liked":false,"like_count":4,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/comments/1036743","likers":"https://www.causes.com/api/v1/likers?likeable_id=1036743&likeable_type=Comment"},"article_id":34497,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/comments/1036743.png","note":{"text":"Support","color":"#2ca788","stance":"support"},"note_text":"Support","note_color":"#2ca788","user_id":"QZOkbLzZ","liker_ids":["4mKpzNz9","zm8wROXZ","9odrQBnb","mE5zRvGL"]}}

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