The US House of Representatives oversight committee is investigating Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, accusing her of using her office to benefit her father's shipping company.
In a letter to Chao, committee chairman Representative Elijah Cummings and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi requested scores of documents related to an aborted October 2017 trip to China, in which Chao reportedly asked her family to be included in meetings with government officials.
Cummings went on to accuse Chao of appearing in Chinese media interviews alongside her father, James, the founder of the Foremost Group, "many of which were behind the official seal of the Department of Transportation" and for deprioritizing programs that benefit the US-flag fleet.
"During some of these interviews, your father touted your influence within the United States government and boasted about his access to President Trump on Air Force One," the letter said in regard to the interviews.
Chao is also accused of cutting more than $80m to the Maritime Security Program, which pays a stipend to ships that are available for use by the US military for operations abroad, and failed to enforce the Cargo Preference Program.
That programme mandates a certain percentage of federally-funded cargo is transported on US ships.
The Foremost Group operates in the dry bulk sector and does considerable business with China, where James Chao was born. The company is based in New York.
Elaine Chao is said to have not worked for the company since the 1970's. It is currently run by her sister, Angela Chao.
Elaine Chao is married to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.
The letter requested the documents by 30 September.
A DOT spokesman said the department is looking forward to the request.
"Media attacks targeting the secretary’s family are stale and only attempt to undermine her long career of public service,” he said.
