Angela A. Chao hosts The New York Metropolis Opera Pre-Gala Celebration at a personal residence in New York Metropolis on Oct. 21, 2010.
Patrick McMullan | Getty Pictures
The demise earlier this month of Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao, the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, is presently below “felony investigation,” a Texas sheriff’s workplace mentioned Thursday.
Chao, 50, was discovered lifeless shortly after midnight on Feb. 11 after being pulled out of a automotive that had gone right into a pond on a personal ranch in Johnson Metropolis, Texas, about 40 miles from Austin.
“This incident was not a typical accident,” the Blanco County Sheriff’s Workplace wrote in a letter to Texas Legal professional Basic Ken Paxton on Thursday.
“Though the preliminary investigation indicated this was an unlucky accident, the Sheriff’s Workplace remains to be investigating this accident as a felony matter till they’ve enough proof to rule out felony exercise,” the letter mentioned.
Since Chao’s demise has remained the topic of a felony probe, the Blanco County Sheriff’s public info officer instructed the legal professional normal that stories, 911 logs, audio and video proof in addition to different materials shouldn’t but be launched to media retailers that requested them, together with CNBC.
“Releasing the stories, movies and different info previous to the completion of the investigation would intrude with the investigation and attainable prosecution of this matter,” the sheriff’s workplace wrote.
The letter didn’t say that there was proof that Chao died as the results of a criminal offense.
However the assertion that Chao’s demise was not “a typical accident” and the prospect raised within the letter of a prosecution marked a shift from an preliminary assertion launched days after Chao’s demise.
The sheriff’s workplace in that Feb. 16 assertion had mentioned, “EMS tried emergency measures on Ms. Chao however she succumbed from being below the water.”
“Our preliminary investigation has decided this to be an unlucky accident. The investigation is ongoing right now,” the prior assertion mentioned.
The ranch the place Chao died is owned by a company entity linked to her husband, enterprise capitalist Jim Breyer, who has an workplace in Austin.
Chao was the sister of McConnell’s spouse, Elaine Chao, who has served as secretary of each the U.S. Labor and Transportation departments. Their father and mom based the Foremost Group.
The letter Thursday to Paxton from the Blanco County Sheriff’s workplace went on to ask the legal professional normal for his opinion on whether or not the information and different materials needs to be saved from the general public for now.
As soon as the probe of Chao’s demise is full, “all stories will likely be launched to all requesters,” it mentioned.
McConnell introduced Wednesday that he would step down because the Republican chief within the Senate later this yr.
“This has been a very tough time for my household,” McConnell mentioned on the Senate ground. “We tragically misplaced Elaine’s youthful sister Angela, just some weeks in the past.”
“While you lose a beloved one, notably at a younger age, there is a sure introspection that accompanies the grieving course of,” mentioned McConnell.
Angela Chao was a double Harvard graduate who turned CEO of Foremost in 2018. She beforehand served on the board of the Financial institution of China and as a director of the China State Shipbuilding Company.
Her husband Breyer is a component proprietor of the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation’s Boston Celtics, and beforehand served on the boards of Fb, Walmart, Marvel Leisure, Information Corp. and Dell.
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