A Daily Caller investigation says Elaine Chao, wife of Senator Mitch McConnell, held advisory posts with a Chinese Communist Party influence agency while serving in US cabinet jobs — bad news for McConnell and a potential legal problem for Chao.

• Translated Chinese government and state media reports show Chao was named an advisor and committee member of a branch of the United Front Work Department, the CCP's intelligence and influence arm, from 2012 to 2017.
• That period overlapped with her time as Trump's Transportation Secretary, and another UFWD wing named her and her father honorary chairmen while she was Labor Secretary under George W. Bush.
• Chinese officials also made her an international advisor to the Wuhan city government in 2009, citing her connections and ability to help Wuhan attract foreign talent and investment.
• Beijing uses the United Front to shape foreign policy abroad and gain access to advanced foreign technology, according to a US congressional review commission.
• Chao also traveled to and stayed in China while McConnell was hospitalized, raising further questions about the nature of her ties.

Outlook: Expect calls for a formal investigation into whether Chao broke the law by serving a foreign government while in office, with pressure coming from both the right and left.