McConnell Says Wife Won't Resign from Board

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell said his wife will not resign from a board that has given $50 million to a campaign dedicated to closing coal-fired power plants. 

WDRB reports that McConnell defended his wife during a campaign stop in Muhlenberg County. 

Yahoo News reported last week that Elaine Chao, McConnell's wife and the former labor secretary under President George W. Bush, joined the Bloomberg Philanthropies board in 2012. In 2011, the board committed to give the Sierra Club $50 million for its "Beyond Coal'' program. 

Monday, several eastern Kentucky Democrats called on Chao to resign. Wednesday, McConnell said Chao would not resign, adding Bloomberg Philanthropies does a lot of good things and that his wife does not approve of their efforts in the coal industry.