Angela A. Chao hosts the New York City Opera Pre-Gala Celebration at a private residence in New York City on October 21, 2010.
Patrick McMullan | Getty Images
The death earlier this month of Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao, sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is under “criminal investigation,” a Texas sheriff’s office said Thursday.
Chao, 50, was found dead shortly after midnight on Feb. 11 after being pulled from a car that plunged into a pond at a private ranch in Johnson City, Texas, about 40 miles from Austin.
“This incident was not a typical accident,” the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday.
“Although the preliminary investigation determined this was an unfortunate accident, the Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this accident as a criminal matter until there is sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity,” the letter said.
Because Chao’s death remains the subject of a criminal investigation, the Blanco County Sheriff’s public information officer told the attorney general that reports, 911 call logs, audio and video evidence and other materials should not yet be released to media outlets that have requested them. including CNBC.
“Release of the reports, videos and other information before the investigation is complete would prejudice the investigation and potential prosecution of this matter,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
The letter did not say that there was evidence that Chao died as a result of a crime.
But the statement that Chao’s death was not a “typical accident” and the outlook expressed in the prosecutor’s letter represented a departure from an initial statement released days after Chao’s death.
The sheriff’s office had said in that Feb. 16 statement: “EMS attempted emergency response to Ms. Chao, but she succumbed due to being submerged.”
“Our preliminary investigation has revealed that this was an unfortunate accident. The investigation is currently ongoing,” the previous statement said.
The ranch where Chao died is owned by a company tied to her husband, venture capitalist Jim Breyer, who has an office in Austin.
Chao was the sister of McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, who served as secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor and Transportation. Her father and mother founded Foremost Group.
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The Blanco County Sheriff’s Office’s letter to Paxton on Thursday further asked the attorney general for his opinion on whether the recordings and other materials should be kept secret from the public for now.
Once the investigation into Chao’s death is complete, “all reports will be shared with all applicants,” it said.
McConnell announced Wednesday that he would step down as Senate Republican leader later this year.
“This has been a particularly difficult time for my family,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “We tragically lost Elaine’s younger sister Angela just a few weeks ago.”
“When you lose a loved one, especially at a young age, the grieving process involves a certain amount of introspection,” McConnell said.
Angela Chao was a two-time Harvard graduate who became CEO of Foremost in 2018. She previously served on the board of the Bank of China and as a director of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
Her husband, Breyer, is part owner of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association and previously served on the boards of Facebook, Walmart, Marvel Entertainment, News Corp. and Dell.
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2024-03-01 00:10:05
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