Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. (Jack Gruber/AFP/Getty Images)On Tuesday, President Trump selected a Washington outsider to head the government agency responsible for paying back dissolved pensions. Yet his nominee, Gordon Hartogensis, is well known to some of Washington’s most politically influential: He is the brother-in-law of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. [Behind the chaos: Office that vets Trump appointees plagued by inexperience]Hartogensis declined to immediately comment when reached by phone Tuesday. The Department of Transportation and a spokeswoman for McConnell declined to comment, referring queries to the White House.

Source: Washington Post May 15, 2018 20:52 UTC