When he’s home in Kentucky, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell likes to brag about the federal dollars he’s helped bring to the state. But when he’s being asked about reports that his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, is giving his state special treatment, he’s been hard done by.
Asked about it on Tuesday, McConnell answered “You know, I was complaining to her just last night: 169 projects and Kentucky got only five. I hope we’ll do a lot better next year.” Ha ha! Just a little joke between powerful Republicans in a position to help each other out!
One of those projects, mind you, was rejected twice before being awarded $11.5 million in 2018, and Chao’s chief of staff has directly told McConnell’s chief of staff to come directly to him with Kentucky-specific issues. But nothing to see here.