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Criminal probe launched over death of McConnell’s sister-in-law: ‘Not a typical accident’

March 3, 2024 | | Print Article

The mysterious death of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s sister-in-law is reportedly being investigated as a crime.

The body of Angela Chao, 50, was recovered from a submerged vehicle found on Feb. 11th in “a pond on a private ranch in Johnson City, Texas, about 40 miles from Austin,” according to CNBC.

But the authorities do not believe she wound up in the pond by accident.

“This incident was not a typical accident,” the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) reportedly wrote in a letter Thursday to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

“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,” they added.

The bad news is that because her death is still under investigation, the BCSO is unable to release “reports, 911 logs, audio and video evidence” to interested media outlets, including CNBC.

“Releasing the reports, videos and other information prior to the completion of the investigation would interfere with the investigation and possible prosecution of this matter,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

What’s weird is that the BCSO’s current conclusion — that something might be up — is completely different from what the office initially reported after finding Chao’s body last month.

“Our preliminary investigation has determined this to be an unfortunate accident. The investigation is ongoing at this time,” the office originally said on Feb. 16th, according to CNBC.

As for the ranch where Chao’s body was found, it’s “owned by a corporate entity connected to her husband, venture capitalist Jim Breyer, who has an office in Austin.”

Chao was, prior to her death, the CEO of the Foremost Group, a company launched by her and her sister’s (McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao) mother and father.

When McConnell announced last week that he’d step down as the Senate Republican leader sometime later this year, he mentioned his sister-in-law’s death.

“This has been a particularly difficult time for my family,” he said. “We tragically lost Elaine’s younger sister Angela, just a few weeks ago. When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there’s a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process.”

Since Chao’s death, conspiracies have emerged linking her passing to the Chinese Communist Party.

It’s a fact that Chao had been the chair of the Bank of China’s U.S. Risk and Management Committee. The bank admitted as much in an obituary published on Feb. 13th.

Moreover, it’s also a fact that her husband’s joint venture firm, IDG Capital, was recently added to the Pentagon’s list of companies that it believes are tied to the Chinese military.

“While being placed on the list doesn’t involve immediate bans, it can be a blow to designated companies’ reputations and represents a stark warning to U.S. entities and companies about the risks of conducting business with them while adding pressure on the Treasury Department to sanction them,” according to Reuters.

IDG Capital has for its part pleaded innocent.

“We are not a Chinese military company, nor do we have any association with the Chinese military, and we do not belong on this watch list,” a spokesperson told Bloomberg.

“We are an international investment firm with investments in China and other parts of the world. We have a robust governance and compliance program in place to ensure we comply with all applicable laws in all jurisdictions in which we operate,” they added.

Nevertheless, as a result of these links, as well as McConnell’s announcement, some folks are convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that something is up.

Look:

Vivek Saxena
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