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2 Feb, 7 tweets, 2 min read
In December, Mitch McConnell pushed to get Eric Soskin confirmed as the DOT inspector general. The DOT IG office has been investigating whether former Sec. Elaine Chao improperly directed grants to Kentucky as McConnell—her husband—sought re-election.
nytimes.com/2021/02/01/us/…
The public deserves full answers about Chao’s conduct in office, and we’re continuing to investigate.

In 2019, we uncovered emails showing that Chao’s office had coordinated with McConnell’s office to give priority to Kentucky-specific requests.
americanoversight.org/emails-reveal-…
The emails include a request from McConnell staff that Chao’s office help make an industry group “feel special.”
In early 2017, Transportation Department official Todd Inman instructed staff in McConnell’s office to notify him directly of Kentucky-specific requests “so we can monitor or follow up as necessary.”
Our analysis of Chao’s calendars, alongside these emails, revealed that the secretary repeatedly met with Kentucky groups or individuals who had been flagged by McConnell’s office. Many of them had things they wanted from DOT.
americanoversight.org/emails-reveal-…
Politico, citing documents we uncovered, found that 25 % of Chao’s meetings with local officials in her first 14 months as secretary were with officials from Kentucky, many of those meetings having been arranged through McConnell’s office.
politico.com/news/2019/10/0…
Learn more about our investigations into Chao and Kentucky favoritism here:
americanoversight.org/investigation/…

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More from @weareoversight

American Oversight Profile picture
3 Feb
Two years ago, there was a partial power outage at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center.

Documents we obtained show inmate complaints about lack of access to medical care, use of force, and unsafe conditions in the days following the blackout.
americanoversight.org/records-shed-l…
MDC Brooklyn is a federal facility operated by the Bureau of Prisons that typically houses more than 1,000 people awaiting trial or serving sentences. The blackout was caused by an electrical fire on Jan. 27, 2019, and power wasn’t restored until Feb. 3.
oig.justice.gov/reports/2019/e…
We’ve obtained complaints about conditions and medical access, reports indicating the use of restraints or force on inmates before and during the outage, as well as logs showing extreme high temperature variations in the days after the outage. Image
Read 4 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
3 Feb
This afternoon, the Biden White House said that it can’t unilaterally release Trump White House visitor logs because they are under the control of the National Archives and Records Administration. But, as we’ve recently explained, Congress can still get these records from NARA.
Our @MMCinDC and Dan McGrath recently wrote in @JustSecurity, congressional committees now have an easier path to obtain Trump White House documents to aid their investigations into the previous administration.
justsecurity.org/74477/congress…
Under the Presidential Records Act, as soon as a president leaves office, that president’s records (except those deemed to be personal records) are transferred to the control of the Archivist of the U.S. at @USNatArchives.
Read 6 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
2 Feb
Congressional committees working to enact reforms to prevent Trump-style abuses now have an easier path to obtain Trump White House documents to aid their investigations, write our @MMCinDC and Dan McGrath.
justsecurity.org/74477/congress…
Under the Presidential Records Act, as soon as a president leaves office, that president’s records (except those deemed to be personal records) are transferred to the control of the Archivist of the U.S. at @USNatArchives.
Although former presidents are permitted to restrict access to their records for up to 12 years after leaving office, the PRA creates an exception that permits release of records to Congress if the records contain information it needs for its work that isn’t otherwise available.
Read 5 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
1 Feb
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis is launching an investigation into Covid-19 outbreaks at meatpacking plants. During the Trump administration, workplace regulators failed to properly enforce safety requirements.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
We’ve been investigating the meatpacking industry’s influence in the Trump administration’s Covid-19 response and the health risks for the industry’s workers. Here’s what we’ve uncovered so far:
Documents we obtained along with @Public_Citizen, and reported on by @USATODAY, showed the Trump USDA and meatpacking industry collaborated to downplay and disregard risks to worker health during the coronavirus pandemic.
americanoversight.org/emails-reveal-…
Read 10 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
31 Jan
We need to talk about long-term accountability for former President Donald Trump’s enablers.

Trump didn’t amass a record of cruelty, ineptitude, and unprecedented harm to public health and national security on his own. #thread
How can we effectively hold the last administration and its enablers accountable?

Journalist @JamesFallows recommends establishing 9/11 Commission-style investigations to excavate the most egregious transgressions.
theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
Others, including @DeanObeidallah & @renato_mariotti, advocate appointing a special counsel. @protctdemocracy outlines how to tailor accountability to the facts and the actor involved. protectdemocracy.org/project/toward…
Read 10 tweets
American Oversight Profile picture
29 Jan
In September 2020, the USPS sent American households a mailer with instructions for requesting vote-by-mail ballots, but the information was inaccurate in many states.

Records we obtained show some state officials were “absolutely apoplectic” about the mailer.

#FOIAFriday
The mailers told voters to "request your mail in ballot... at least 15 days before Election Day." But that’s inaccurate for Americans living in the nine states and District of Columbia that automatically mail ballots to registered voters.
cnn.com/2020/09/14/pol…
Colorado Sec. of State Jena Griswold sued USPS, arguing the mailer attempted to disenfranchise voters with misleading information. We asked the Colorado State Dept. for emails with USPS in anticipation of widespread use of mail-in ballots in the election. washingtonpost.com/politics/color…
Read 12 tweets

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