McConnell brother-in-law picked by Trump to lead pension agency

President Trump on Tuesday announced his nomination of Gordon Hartogensis, brother-in-law of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), to lead a federal pension agency. 

Hartogensis, who is married to the sister of McConnell’s wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, is set to become the director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which provides federal insurance on private sector pension plans. 

The official White House announcement included little information on Hartogensis, only noting his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science and technology management without providing any up-to-date career information. 

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“Mr. Hartogensis is an investor and technology sector leader with experience managing financial equities, bonds, private placements, and software development,” the White House said in a statement. 

According to his apparent LinkedIn profile, Hartogensis helps govern his family’s trust and was the founder and CEO of Auric Technology LLC, a software development company, until 2011. The White House would not respond to inquiries into his work by CNBC, and neither Hartogensis nor Auric offered comment to Bloomberg.

Amazing. Trump just nominated Mitch McConnell & Elaine Chao’s brother-in-law to lead the nation’s pension agency. The White House announcement doesn’t even list a current job for him & WH won’t answer questions. Below, his announcement vs. a typical one >> https://t.co/58Vu6GzLwC pic.twitter.com/LL5zsexfuF

— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) May 15, 2018

The PBGC, which sustains payments on single- and multi-employer pension plans even when employers terminate workers’ plans, is currently operating on a multibillion dollar deficit between assets and liabilities and is expected to become insolvent by 2025, according to Bloomberg.