Calls for an investigation into Elaine Chao, the wife of Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, are spreading after Chinese government and state media records identified her in at least four advisory or honorary positions beginning in 2008, including several tied to organizations associated with the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department.

The reported appointments included a 2008 honorary chairmanship with the Jiading branch of the China Overseas Friendship Association, a 2009 position as an international adviser to the Wuhan municipal government, and advisory positions with organizations affiliated with the United Front system beginning in 2012. Some of the appointments overlapped with Chao’s service as secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush and secretary of Transportation under President Donald Trump.

The United Front Work Department is a component of the Chinese Communist Party’s influence system. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission has described United Front organizations as mechanisms Beijing uses to advance Chinese political interests and influence individuals and organizations abroad.

The reported positions have drawn scrutiny because Chao did not list them during her 2017 Senate confirmation process for transportation secretary, which required disclosure of positions held during the previous 10 years. The available Chinese records describe the positions in varying terms, including appointments and advisory roles, while some records do not specify whether they were paid.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for an investigation into Chao, reviving previous allegations that she could have ties to the Chinese government. Other critics have similarly questioned whether the reported appointments should have been disclosed and whether they raise counterintelligence concerns.

Chao's spokesman has rejected the allegations, saying she has never held a position with a foreign government. In a statement, the spokesman called the claims “unfounded and deeply insulting, hurtful and racist,” while emphasizing Chao's decades of service to the United States.

The records also identify members of Chao's family in Chinese government-related positions. Her father, James S.C. Chao, was identified alongside her in some of the reported appointments, while her late sister, Angela Chao, also held a Wuhan government advisory position, according to Chinese records.

Chao was born in Taiwan and became a U.S. citizen at age 19. She served as Labor Secretary from 2001 to 2009 and Transportation Secretary from 2017 to 2021. The reported Chinese appointments have renewed questions about her disclosures and contacts with Chinese government-linked organizations during her years in senior U.S. government positions.