Representative Tom Kean of New Jersey has been absent from Congress for nearly three months, yet has continued to engage in personal stock trading. Despite missing 90 House votes, Kean electronically submitted a disclosure on Friday detailing stock trades made in April. This marks the second instance of Kean disclosing personal trades during his extended absence.
Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., reiterated his support for a universal ban on individual stock trading for all federal officials, including Supreme Court justices and presidents. This stance follows reports of President Trump’s extensive stock trading activity in the first quarter of the year. While previously facing criticism from Trump regarding similar legislation, Hawley maintains that both he and the former president are in agreement on banning congressional stock trading. Vice President JD Vance indicated that Trump utilizes independent wealth advisers for his investments and supports banning members of Congress from using proprietary information for stock trading.
The article alleges that Donald Trump engaged in extensive daily stock trading during his presidency, often in companies that did business with the federal government, raising concerns about conflicts of interest. Furthermore, it claims the Department of Justice settled a lawsuit with Trump by establishing a $1.776 billion fund intended to compensate individuals who faced “weaponization and lawfare” under the Biden administration, which the author suggests could benefit Trump’s political allies and supporters, including those involved in the January 6th events. This action, according to the article, was orchestrated to bypass judicial oversight and potentially distribute taxpayer funds to a select group. The article also notes a relaxation of cryptocurrency regulations coinciding with the Trump administration’s investments in that sector.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna initiated a discharge petition to force a House vote on banning lawmakers and their spouses from trading individual stocks, circumventing Republican leadership. This move follows accusations of slow-walking the stock ban proposal and attempting to weaken the legislation, which has broad bipartisan support. The underlying bill, led by Representative Tim Burchett, seeks to prohibit members of Congress, their spouses, and dependents from engaging in individual stock trading. This marks the third discharge petition filed by a Republican this year, reflecting a growing trend of bypassing leadership on key legislative matters.
Stock trading by members of Congress could be banned in a bipartisan push, and honestly, it’s about time. It’s the kind of move that seems like it should have been in place from the get-go. The idea is simple: prevent members of Congress, their spouses, dependent children, and any trusts they control from buying, selling, or owning stocks, commodities, or other financial instruments. New lawmakers would have a 90-day window to comply, while those already in office get 180 days to divest. It sounds straightforward, but as with anything involving legislation, the devil is in the details, like how to handle diversified funds, and the potential for loopholes.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood