WASHINGTON, DC - For the past several weeks, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao has been ensnared in negative headlines suggesting she’s using the power of her office to unfairly benefit Kentucky and that she improperly failed to cut financial ties to a construction company among other allegations.

"It’s definitely a political partisan attack. An effort at it. Of course," said Chao.

Speaking at an event at the conservative Heritage Foundation Wednesday, Chao shrugged off the criticism. Her husband Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did the same earlier this month.

"You know I was complaining to her just last night, 169 projects and Kentucky got only 5. I hope we’ll do a lot better next year," he said.

"Well my husband has a wonderful sense of humor. He’s also an outstanding public servant," said Chao.

According to the progressive group Restore Public Trust, the Kentucky town of Paducah has collected $509 million in funds from federal departments where Chao had oversight over the past ten years.

Politico reports Chao fast-tracked projects favored by McConnell to benefit him politically.

In a show vote, House Democrats moved this week to forbid Department of Transportation funding from being used for personal gain.

"From the nationwide point of view, Kentucky ranked about 25 out of the 50 states in terms of total dollars," Chao argued.

Chao says she’s hopeful Congress can come together with the President to pass a much needed federal infrastructure bill but advocated for private sector partnerships as the best path forward.

"You would be amazed at what the federal government funds now," she lamented. "We fund bike trails. We fund local projects. The role of the government originally in the interstate commerce, interstate highway days, President Eisenhower first built the infrastructure highway system for the country. It had national security interests. These were huge highways," said Chao.

When asked if the gas tax should be raised as a funding source, Chao was evasive.