Dot-Connecting
Between Angela Chao and Mitch McConnell (Connecting
the Dots: Angela Chao, Elaine Chao, Mitch McConnell, Bank of China, China,
Oxford Rhodes Scholars & Soros Funding, All Networking)
Is
it a coincidence that McConnell is stepping down as Senate minority leader?
The
Epoch Times
By
Stu Cvrk 3/2/2024 Updated: 3/5/2024
Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) walks into the Senate chamber in
Washington on Feb. 28, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/dot-connecting-between-angela-chao-and-mitch-mcconnell-5598152
Commentary
On
Feb. 12, 50-year-old Angela Chao was found dead in her Tesla that was
submerged in a pond on private property in Blanco County, Texas, according to
the incident
report from fire department EMS personnel. Ms. Chao was the sixth
and youngest daughter of Chinese-American shipping magnate James Si-Cheng Chao,
who founded the New York-headquartered Foremost Group in 1964. She had been CEO
of the company since 2018 and was a founding member of The Asian American
Foundation.
On
Feb. 28, 82-year-old Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced
his intention to step down from his leadership position in November.
Angela
Chao was the sister-in-law of Mitch McConnell, and speculation has been rife
about these two seemingly unrelated events. Is there any connection other than
familial? Let us examine the topic.
Angela
Chao
Angela
Chao lived in Austin, Texas, and “served on the boards of American and Chinese
groups, including the American Bureau of Shipping Council, the Bank
of China,
and a holding company for China State Shipbuilding,” MSN
reported. Her connections to China loom large, particularly in her
capacity as the former
chair of the U.S. Risk and Management Committee of Bank of China
USA, a director of the holding company for state-run China State Shipbuilding,
and a former vice chair of the Council of China’s Foreign Trade. China State
Shipbuilding Corp. (CSSC) builds ships for the People’s Liberation Army-Navy
while the Council of China’s Foreign Trade is a promotional group created by
Beijing to facilitate Chinese trade worldwide. Why did the CCP place such trust
in Angela Chao?
Her
father maintained connections to Chinese communists at the highest levels. As
noted here,
he “cultivated a close relationship with Jiang Zemin, a former schoolmate from
Shanghai” who later became general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and
the fifth communist leader of China from 1993–2003. The rise of the Foremost
Group mirrored the rise of Jiang in the CCP hierarchy. There are no such things
as coincidences.
Lastly,
according to China
Insights, the Chao family “is known in overseas Chinese circles as
‘The First Chinese American Family,’” with Mr. Chao known as the “Chinese Ship
King.” That moniker was well-earned.
Mitch
McConnell
Mr.
McConnell will step down in November as the longest-serving party leader ever
in the U.S. Senate. He was first elected to the Senate in 1985 and rose to
Republican minority leader in 2007 and later majority leader in 2015 before
reverting to minority leader in 2021. He married his second wife, Elaine Chao, in February
1993. Together, they became an important political power couple in Washington,
with Ms. Chao having served as U.S. Secretary of Labor from 2001–09 and Secretary
of Transportation from
2017–21.
In
his 2018 book “Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides
Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends,” investigative journalist Peter
Schweizer noted that Mr. McConnell had hardline positions on communist China
before his marriage to Ms. Chao. That seemed to change just a year after their
marriage, and in 1994, he was invited by CSSC to meet then-Party leader Jiang
Zemin and Vice Premier Li Lanqing as arranged by Ms. Chao’s father, Mr. Chao.
As reported by the New York
Post, Mr. Schweizer maintained in his book that Mr. McConnell “would
increasingly avoid public criticism of China” as additional meetings and visits
were conducted over the years. Perhaps that shift was facilitated by a
multimillion-dollar “gift” from Mr. Chao to the McConnells in 2008 that
increased Mr. McConnell’s net worth nearly tenfold.
Sen.
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) participates in a mock swearing-in as his wife,
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, holds a Bible, in the Old Senate Chamber
at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 3, 2021. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP)
Other
McConnell gifts to China over the years included the following, as documented
by Mr. Schweizer:
He
defended communist China in its actions against Hong Kong and Taiwan.
He
claimed that “the United States needed to be ‘ambiguous’ as to whether we would
come to the defense of Taiwan if attacked by China.”
When
needed to continue China’s most-favored-nation status with the United States,
he cosponsored S.2277, which removed the requirement that China had to
demonstrate progress on human rights after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Ms.
Chao, for her part while Secretary of Labor, opposed a petition filed against
China on the subject of workers’ rights based on the U.S. Trade Act of 1974
while also criticizing a bipartisan congressional report citing Chinese
espionage against the United States.
A
moderate Republican, Mr. McConnell clashed with populist President Donald Trump
on various policy issues, including China tariffs and closing the border, to
the point of threatening the president with impeachment if he pardoned Julian
Assange in the final hours of his presidency, as reported
by Tucker Carlson.
Dots
and Questions
Are
there any connections between Angela Chao’s death and Mr. McConnell’s upcoming
relinquishing of his job as Republican minority leader in the Senate?
NTD
reported that officials have been slow to release additional information about
the incident and that her family allegedly blocked an autopsy, leading to
“speculation about the circumstances surrounding Ms. Chao’s death.” NTD cited a
YouTube video by Lei’s Real Talk,
who has been an independent reporter of the “latest geopolitical events
concerning China” since 2020. A number of points were made in that Feb. 22
report, as well as in other news reports since then:
The
“suspicious death” took place at a ranch that is owned by a corporate entity
connected to her husband, venture capitalist Jim Breyer, according to CNBC.
Her death is under a criminal investigation, as reported by the Daily
Mail.
There
is a surveillance video of Angela Chao’s car going into reverse and
“aggressively backing over a significant obstacle.” The Daily Mail reported on
March 1 that “[police] refuse to release the 911 call and video evidence”
associated with the incident.
General
information about identity, time, and place of death was not released to the
media per standard practice, as noted by USA
Today on Feb. 21. Further information is possibly being withheld
because of an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding her
death.
The
death took place one week after IDG Capital was listed as a “Chinese military
operation,” which her husband Jim Breyer’s venture capital firm had heavily
invested in. As reported by the House
Select Committee on the Strategic Cooperation between the United
States and the Chinese Communist Party on Feb. 8. Mr. Breyer’s net worth is
estimated at $1.5 billion.
These
circumstances may have been unremarkable, but that has not yet been determined,
and there are other interesting coincidences.
China Insights
noted that the Foremost Group “placed an order worth $168 million with a
subsidiary of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation.” This was
confirmed by Ship&Bunker
on Jan. 26 as an order for “four 82,200 DWT duel fueled bulkers capable of
running on methanol from CSSC Chengxi Shipyard.”
Angela
Chao’s position as a director of China State Shipbuilding Corporation was
unique. No ordinary member of the CCP would have the qualifications or
opportunity to become a member of a state-run enterprise that is part of a
military-industrial enterprise in China.
China
Insights reported that Beijing-based Chinese media Caixin Global was the first
to report Ms. Chao’s death by claiming that her car was hit by a truck while on
her way to a business meeting in Austin, Texas. She supposedly died at the
scene, and the truck driver was arrested for manslaughter. Caixin Global is
backed by former Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and reports the state’s
geopolitical narrative, not sensational news stories. How did Caixin
Global—half a world away!—scoop U.S. media on the story, even if the details
were wrong? Another coincidence!
Angela
Chao was dismissed as an independent director of the Bank of China in 2022
after relations between the bank and Evergrande soured. The Bank of China (BOC)
seized Evergrande’s assets beginning in 2021 as Evergrande failed to repay its
debt. The BOC also reported Evergrande’s regulatory violations to relevant CCP
anti-corruption authorities. Evergrande’s Xu Jiayin fought back by making
default allegations against the BOC and disclosing other embarrassing insider
information, including alleged scandals of then-BOC President Liu Liange.
Was
the Caixin story intended to send a message to the Jiang Zemin faction (the
“Shanghai clique” in China)? The Hong Kong head of the BOC, the founder of the
Lenovo Group, and members of the now-defunct Taishan
Club, a chamber of commerce-type group that dominated certain
sectors of the Chinese economy and represented the wealthiest people in China, could have been
some of the intended recipients of such a message.
Concluding
Thoughts
On
Feb. 29, CNBC
reported that the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office wrote a letter to
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that included the statement, “Although the
preliminary investigation indicated this was an unfortunate accident, the
Sheriff’s Office is still investigating this accident as a criminal matter
until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity.”
The
letter further states that “this incident was not a typical accident.”
Then
there were Mr. McConnell’s cryptic remarks about his sister-in-law’s passing as
he announced stepping down on Feb. 28.
“Perhaps
it is God’s way of reminding you of your own life’s journey to reprioritize the
impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind,” he said.
What
does “reprioritize the impact of the world” mean? Is he sidelining himself
because of the Caixin Group’s message?
Or
is Mr. McConnell getting out ahead of the Senate posse that has become
disenchanted with his leadership of late? After the debacle of the super-secret
border deal that went down the tubes, his credibility is decidedly
waning, but this is a way for him to retain a modicum of power for another
eight months, albeit in a decidedly weakened lame-duck status.
Certainly,
there is more than meets the eye about Angela Chao’s death and Mr. McConnell
stepping down as Republican minority leader in the Senate. We will have to wait
for the completion of the criminal investigation into her death to learn more.
The
end.
Connecting
the Dots:
Angela Chao is Addison M.
McConnell (Mitch’s) sister-in-law and Elaine Chao’s sister.
Addison M.
McConnell is Angela Chao’s brother-in-law, the U.S.
Senate senator & majority leader and married to Elaine L.
Chao.
Elaine L. Chao is
married to Addison M. McConnell, Angela Chao’s sister, a
fellow at the Hudson Institute (think tank) and was the transportation
secretary for the Donald Trump administration.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder
for the Hudson Institute (think tank) and the Aspen Institute
(think tank).
George Soros was the chairman
for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
John Brademas was
a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and
a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.
Giulio Tremonti is
a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a fellow at
the Oxford University.
James M. Manyika is
a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was a
research fellow at the Oxford University.
Pete Buttigieg is a graduate at
the University of Oxford, attending the latter on a Rhodes
Scholarship and the Secretary of Transportation for
the Joe Biden Administration.
Walter Isaacson a Rhodes
scholar at the Oxford University and is president
& CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank), was a Rhodes
scholar at the Oxford University and a director at
the Bloomberg Family Foundation.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the
Aspen Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman
for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Bloomberg
Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think
tank).
Elaine L. Chao is
a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation, married to Addison
M. McConnell, Angela Chao’s sister, the transportation secretary for
the Donald Trump administration, was a board member for the American
Action Forum, and a fellow at the Hudson Institute (think tank).
Frederic V. Malek is
the chairman for the American Action Forum and a trustee at
the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Hudson Institute (think
tank), the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman
for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the founder &
chairman for the Open Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a funder
for the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace (think tank).
Jon M. Huntsman
Jr. is a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace (think tank) and an ambassador to China for
the Barack Obama administration.
J. Stapleton Roy is
a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think
tank) and was a U.S. ambassador for China.
German
Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank) was a
funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
Amity Shlaes was
a trustee at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank)
and a columnist for the Bloomberg News.
Margaret Carlson is
a trustee at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank)
and a columnist for the Bloomberg News.
Bloomberg News is
a division of Bloomberg LP.
Michael R.
Bloomberg is the founder of Bloomberg LP, the founder of
the Bloomberg Family Foundation and was a donor for the Robin
Hood Foundation.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin
Hood Foundation and the Aspen Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman
for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Bloomberg
Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think
tank).
Elaine L. Chao is
a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation, married to Addison
M. McConnell, Angela Chao’s sister, the transportation secretary
for the Donald Trump administration and was a fellow at the Hudson
Institute (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Hudson
Institute (think tank) and the Aspen Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman
for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
John Brademas was
a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and
a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.
Giulio Tremonti is
a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a fellow at
the Oxford University.
James M. Manyika is
a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was a
research fellow at the Oxford University.
Pete
Buttigieg is
a graduate at the University of Oxford, attending the latter on
a Rhodes Scholarship and the Secretary
of Transportation for the Joe Biden Administration.
Walter Isaacson a Rhodes
scholar at the Oxford University and is president
& CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank), was a Rhodes
scholar at the Oxford University and a director at
the Bloomberg Family Foundation.
Bloomberg
Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think
tank).
Michael R.
Bloomberg is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation and
the founder of Bloomberg LP.
Bloomberg News is
a division of Bloomberg LP.
Amity Shlaes was
a columnist for the Bloomberg News and a trustee at the German
Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank).
Margaret Carlson is
a columnist for the Bloomberg News and a trustee at the German
Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank).
German
Marshall Fund of the United States (think tank) was a
funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
Open Society Foundations was a funder
for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
George Soros is the founder & chairman for
the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation
to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
Jon M. Huntsman
Jr. is a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace (think tank) and an ambassador to China for
the Barack Obama administration.
J. Stapleton Roy is
a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think
tank) and was a U.S. ambassador for China.
Mohamed A.
El-Erian is a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace (think tank) and was the deputy director for the International
Monetary Fund.
Christine
Lagarde is a managing director at the International Monetary
Fund and attended George Soros’s 2013 wedding reception.
Min Zhu is the
deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund and was
the deputy governor for the People's Bank of China.
People's
Bank of China is the central bank for China.
Hong Kong is a
special administrative region of China.
Hong
Kong Trade Development Council is a trade group for Hong Kong.
Sidley Austin
LLP is the lobby firm for the Hong Kong Trade Development
Council.
Barack Obama was an
intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was
a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.
Cameron F. Kerry is
a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, John F. Kerry’s brother
and a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder
for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman
for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
William T.
Coleman Jr. was an honorary trustee at the Brookings
Institution (think tank) and a secretary for the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
Richard N. Haass was
a VP for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a Rhodes
scholar at the Oxford University.
Strobe Talbott is
the president of the Brookings Institution (think tank) and
was a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.
E.J. Dionne is
a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and
was a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.
Susan E. Rice was
a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and
a Rhodes scholar at the Oxford University.
Pete Buttigieg is a graduate at
the University of Oxford, attending the latter on a Rhodes
Scholarship and the Secretary of Transportation for
the Joe Biden Administration.
Resources:
Past Research
Limbaugh:
‘Search-and-Destroy Mission’ Against Roy Moore Is Really About Mitch McConnell
Sending Steve Bannon a Message (Past
Research on Addison M. McConnell (Mitch) & Elaine Chao)
TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 14, 2017
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/11/limbaugh-search-and-destroy-mission.html
Buttigieg
Defends Fed Response to Train Derailment in Ohio (Connecting the Dots: Pete
Buttigieg, Oxford University, The U.S. Department of Transportation, The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Federal Railroad Administration
& Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research
on Pete Buttigieg)
SATURDAY,
FEBRUARY 18, 2023
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2023/02/buttigieg-defends-fed-response-to-train.html
Jeb
Bush: Michael Bloomberg A ‘Good Man’ And A ’Patriot’ (Past
Research on the Bloomberg Family Foundation)
SUNDAY,
JANUARY 24, 2016
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/01/jeb-bush-michael-bloomberg-good-man-and.html
Chinese
Crash Crushes Stock Market as Obama Imitates Chinese Economy (Past Research on China)
MONDAY,
AUGUST 24, 2015
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/08/chinese-crash-crushes-stock-market-as.html
MSNBC
Closes 2014 In Last Place, Hemorrhaging Viewers (Past
Research on Bloomberg News)
WEDNESDAY,
DECEMBER 31, 2014
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/12/msnbc-closes-2014-in-last-place.html
The
Secret Hand of China (Past Research on China &
Bank of China)
WEDNESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 3, 2014
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-secret-hand-of-china.html
