President Donald Trump nominated Gordon Hartogensis, a self-described entrepreneur who is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao’s brother-in-law, to lead the federal agency that pays worker pensions when employers terminate their retirement plans.
Hartogensis helps govern his family’s trust and is the CEO of Auric Technology, a closely held software company, according to his LinkedIn page. In making the announcement, the White House did not provide biographical information about him or answer questions about his relationship to Chao and McConnell, who are married. Hartogensis is married to one of Chao’s sisters, according to a person familiar with the matter.
(Related: Meet Your Multiemployer Pension Nightmare: Actuary to Lawmakers)
Email and phone messages left for Hartogensis at Auric were not returned.
If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace the current director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Tom Reeder, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2015.