Angela Chao, the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has had her death labeled as a subject of a criminal investigation. Chao, who was the CEO of the New York-based dry bulk shipping company Foremost Group, was discovered deceased in her submerged vehicle in a pond on a ranch in Johnson City, near Austin, on Feb. 11, as reported by the New York Post. Authorities are currently looking into the circumstances surrounding her passing as a potential criminal act. The ranch where her car met its fate is linked to a corporation associated with Chao’s husband, Jim Breyer.
Fox Business reported:
“A Blanco County Sheriff’s Office statement to the Austin American-Statesman Thursday said emergency medical services personnel attempted to save her, but that Chao “succumbed from being under the water.”
“Several media reports say a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from BCSO details the crash “was not a typical accident.”
“Chao was chair and CEO of Foremost Group, a company founded by her parents in 1964 in New York. She worked her way up to leading the company in 2018, previously serving as vice president, concentrating on ship operations and ship management, and later promoted to senior vice president with additional responsibilities, according to Foremost Group’s website.”
Chao successfully completed her studies at Harvard University, graduating with honors in just three years. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics and subsequently pursued further education at Harvard Business School.
“She will be greatly missed and leaves a legacy of pioneering leadership — especially for women — in shipping, philanthropy and the arts,” Foremost Group said in a statement.
Mitch McConnell emphasized the immense difficulty he and his wife have faced following Angela’s passing, as he announced his resignation from leadership.
“This has been a particularly difficult time for my family. We tragically lost Elaine’s younger sister Angela, just a few weeks ago,” he said. “When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there’s a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process.”