Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao Elaine Lan ChaoChick-fil-A drops fight for San Antonio airport location Overnight Defense: US marks 19th anniversary of 9/11 attacks | Trump awards Medal of Honor to Army Ranger for hostage rescue mission | Bahrain, Israel normalizing diplomatic ties Trump marks 9/11 with moment of silence on Air Force One, remarks in PA MORE on Thursday defended the nomination of her brother-in-law, Gordon Hartogensis, to lead a federal pension agency.

"It is true that he is my brother-in-law, but Secretary Acosta made the selection and hired him, and I think he's an excellent choice," Chao told The Washington Post's Robert Costa when asked whether she played a role in recommending Hartogensis's nomination. Hartogensis is the brother-in-law of Chao and her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellFEC flags McConnell campaign over suspected accounting errors Poll: 59 percent think president elected in November should name next Supreme Court justice Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' MORE (R-Ky.).

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"I don't think anybody's relations or relatives should be held against them, certainly not me," she continued.

Hartogensis, who is married to Chao's sister, was nominated by President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE last month to lead the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which protects federal insurance on private-sector pension plans.

"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 last month.

The PBGC sustains payments on single- and multiemployer pension plans, even after employers terminate workers' plans.

The agency is running on a multibillion-dollar deficit between assets and liabilities and is expected to become insolvent by 2025, according to Bloomberg.