63 members of Congress have violated a law designed to stop insider trading and prevent conflicts-of-interest

congressional stock report lobbying federal government 4x3
  • Insider and other media have identified numerous US lawmakers not complying with the federal STOCK Act.
  • Their excuses range from oversights, to clerical errors, to inattentive accountants.
  • Ethics watchdogs — and even some in Congress — want to ban lawmakers from trading individual stocks.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

Insider and several other news organizations have identified 63 members of Congress who've recently failed to properly report their financial trades as mandated by the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012, also known as the STOCK Act.

Congress passed the law a decade ago to combat insider trading and conflicts of interest among their own members and force lawmakers to be more transparent about their personal financial dealings. A key provision of the law mandates that lawmakers publicly — and quickly — disclose any stock trade made by themselves, a spouse, or a dependent child.

But many members of Congress have not fully complied with the law. They offer excuses including ignorance of the law, clerical errors, and mistakes by an accountant. Insider has chronicled this widespread nature of this phenomenon in a new project, "Conflicted Congress."

While lawmakers who violate the STOCK Act face a fine, the penalty is usually small — $200 is the standard amount — or waived by House or Senate ethics officials. Ethics watchdogs and even some members of Congress have called for stricter penalties or even a ban on federal lawmakers from trading individual stocks. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are now seriously debating such a ban.

Here are the lawmakers discovered to have recently violated the STOCK Act — to one extent or another:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California
Dianne Feinstein
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California.

Feinstein was months late disclosing a five-figure investment her husband made into a private, youth-focused polling company.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, is pointing while wearing a gray suit and purple tie.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama.

Tuberville was weeks or months late in disclosing nearly 130 separate stock trades from January to May.

Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas
Roger Marshall
Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas.

Marshall was up to 17 months late disclosing stock trades for one of his dependent children.

Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky
Sen. Rand Paul is administered an oath as his wife Kelley looks on during a swearing-in ceremony in the US Capitol on Jan 3, 2017.
Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky.

Paul was 16 months late in disclosing that his wife bought stock in a biopharmaceutical company that manufactures an antiviral COVID-19 treatment, the Washington Post reported.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island.

Whitehouse was a couple days late disclosing January 2022 purchases of Target Corporation and Tesla Inc. stock, each valued at between $15,001 and $50,000.

Sen. Tom Carper, a Democrat from Delaware
Sen. Tom Carper
Sen. Tom Carper, a Democrat from Delaware.

Carper was about four months late disclosing his wife's sale of stock in a gold mining company.

Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado
Sen. John Hickenlooper
Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado.

Hickenlooper was months — and in two cases, more than a year — late in disclosing five separate stock trades for himself or his wife that, taken together, are worth between $565,000 and $1.3 million, nonprofit news organization Sludge reported.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Republican from Wyoming
US Senator from Wyoming, Cynthia Lummis.
US Senator from Wyoming, Cynthia Lummis.

Lummis was several days late reporting a purchase in August of up to $100,000 in bitcoin, CNBC reported.

Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan
Sen. Gary Peters
Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan.

Peters was months late disclosing a purchase of up to $15,000 worth of stock in FS KKR Capital Corp., which manages business development companies, nonprofit news organization Sludge reported.

Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona
Mark Kelly Gabby Giffords .JPG
Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona.

Kelly, a retired astronaut, failed to disclose on time his exercising of a stock option on an investment in a company that's developing a supersonic passenger aircraft, Fox Business reported

Rep. Tom Malinowski, a Democrat from New Jersey
tom.malinowski
Rep. Tom Malinowski, a Democrat from New Jersey.

Malinowski failed to disclose dozens of stock trades made during 2020 and early 2021, doing so only after questions from Insider.

The independent Office of Congressional Ethics, in part citing Insider's reporting, found "substantial reason to believe" that Malinowski violated federal rules or laws designed to promote transparency and defend against conflicts. It voted 5-1 to refer its findings to the Democrat-led House Committee on Ethics, which confirmed on October 21 that it will continue reviewing the matter.

Rep. Pat Fallon, a Republican from Texas
Rep. Pat Fallon, a Republican from Texas, is waving his right hand and wearing a light blue suit during a group photo with freshmen members of the House Republican Conference on the House steps of the US Capitol on January 4, 2021.
Rep. Pat Fallon, a Republican from Texas.

Fallon was months late disclosing dozens of stock trades during early- and mid-2021 that together are worth as much as $17.53 million. Fallon was late again in December 2021 disclosing stock trades.

Rep. Diana Harshbarger, a Republican from Tennessee
Rep. Diana Harshbarger, a congresswoman from Tennessee. She is in a blue jacket at the US Capitol.
Rep. Diana Harshbarger, a Republican from Tennessee.

Harshbarger failed to properly disclose more than 700 stock trades that together are worth as much as $10.9 million.

Rep. Susie Lee, a Democrat of Nevada
Susie Lee
Rep. Susie Lee, a Democrat from Nevada.

Lee failed to properly disclose more than 200 stock trades between early-2020 and mid-2021. Together, the trades are worth as much as $3.3 million.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from North Carolina
Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina speaks to reporters at his campaign headquarters in Hendersonville, NC on May 17, 2022.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from North Carolina.

Cawthorn was months late in disclosing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of purchases and sales of two cryptocurrencies: ethereum and Let's Go Brandon Coin, the latter referencing an anti-Joe Bien slogan. 

Rep. Katherine Clark, a Democrat from Massachusetts
Katherine Clark.
Rep. Katherine Clark, a Democrat from Massachusetts.

Clark, one of the highest-ranking Democrats in the House, was several weeks late in disclosing 19 of her husband's stock transactions. Together, the trades are worth as much as $285,000. She has since stopped trading stocks.

Rep. Blake Moore, a Republican from Utah
Rep. Blake Moore, a Republican from Utah, stands in front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
Rep. Blake Moore, a Republican from Utah.

Moore in early- to mid-2021 did not properly disclose dozens of stock and stock-option trades together worth as much as $1.1 million. He was late again disclosing trades made in August.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat from New Jersey
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Democrat of New Jersey.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat from New Jersey.

Sherrill was months late disclosing two sales of vested stock her husband earned as part of his employment. The trades were worth up to $350,000 and Sherrill paid a $400 late fee. 

Rep. Mo Brooks, a Republican from Alabama
mo.brooks
Rep. Mo Brooks, a Republican from Alabama.

Brooks, who is running for US Senate, failed to properly disclose a sale of Pfizer stock worth up to $50,000.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland
Jamie Raskin
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland.

Raskin failed to disclose on three annual congressional financial reports that his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, held stock in Reserve Trust. He then didn't disclose that she sold the stock, valued at $1.5 million, until months after a federal deadline for doing so. Raskin explained that sale disclosure delay occurred following his son's death.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas
dan crenshaw
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas.

Crenshaw was months late disclosing several stock trades he made in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Daily Beast reported.

Rep. Kathy Manning, a Democrat from North Carolina
Rep. Kathy Manning
Rep. Kathy Manning speaks during the news conference on the introduction of the Medicaid Saves Lives Act on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.

Manning and her husband were late — sometimes by months — disclosing several dozen stock trades made in 2021 that together were worth up to $1.25 million, according to nonprofit news organization Sludge.

Rep. Kevin Hern, a Republican from Oklahoma
Rep. Kevin Hern, a Republican of Oklahoma, speaks during a Republican Study Committee press conference on Wednesday, May 19, 2021.
Rep. Kevin Hern, a Republican from Oklahoma.

Hern did not disclose nearly two-dozen stock trades in a timely manner, in violation of the STOCK Act. Taken together, the trades are worth as much as $2.7 million.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Florida
Debbie Wasserman-Schultz
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Florida.

Wasserman Schultz was months late reporting four stock trades made either for herself or her child.

Rep. Michael Guest, a Republican from Mississippi
Rep. Michael Guest, sporting a mask adorned with the American flag, a dark suit, light-colored shirt, and striped tie, makes his way through a committee hearing room on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Michael Guest, a Republican from Mississippi.

Guest was more than eight months late disclosing trades in the stock of two oil companies held by a family trust benefitting his wife.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, a Democrat from New York
Sean Maloney
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, a Democrat from New York.

Maloney was months late in disclosing he sold eight stocks he inherited in mid-2020 when his mother died.

Rep. Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida
Rep. Brian Mast, Republican of Florida
Rep. Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida.

Mast was late disclosing that he had purchased up to $100,000 in stock in an aerospace company. The president of the company had just testified before a congressional subcommittee on which Mast sits.

Rep. Lori Trahan, a Democrat from Massachusetts
Rep. Lori Trahan, a Democrat from Massachusetts, talking
Rep. Lori Trahan, a Democrat from Massachusetts.

Trahan was months late disclosing the sale of stock shares in a software company.

Rep. John Rutherford, a Republican from Florida
Rep. John Rutherford, a Republican from Florida, stands outside the US Capitol.
Rep. John Rutherford, a Republican from Florida.

Rutherford failed to properly disclose five individual stock transactions he made in late 2020.

Rep. Brad Schneider, a Democrat from Illinois
Rep. Brad Schneider speaks on Capitol Hill
Rep. Brad Schneider, a Democrat from Illinois.

Schneider was about two months late disclosing two stock trades involving a pet insurance company.

Rep. David Trone, a Democrat of Maryland
David Trone
Rep. David Trone, a Democrat of Maryland.

Trone was months late reporting several stocks and structured notes that together are worth well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Rep. Pete Sessions, a Republican from Texas
Pete Sessions
Rep. Pete Sessions, a Republican from Texas.

Sessions was a month late in reporting a purchase of stock in Amazon.com he made during August 2021. Separately, in early 2022, Sessions was late disclosing seven trades he made in late 2021. Sessions has been an outspoken advocate of allowing members of Congress to trade individual stocks.

Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican from Pennsylvania
Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican from Pennsylvania, in a suit and tie.
Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican from Pennsylvania.

Meuser was about one year late disclosing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock purchases his wife and children made during March 2020, LegiStorm reported.

Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat of Florida
Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat from Florida, speaks at a news conference.
Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat from Florida.

Castor was late disclosing the purchase of tens of thousands of dollars worth of stock shares throughout 2021.

Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat of New Jersey
Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat of Maryland
Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat of Maryland, paid a late fee after he was tardy disclosing stock trades.

Pascrell was overdue reporting stock trades he made in December 2019 in General Electric and in August 2019 in pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson.

Rep. August Pfluger, a Republican from Texas
Rep. August Pfluger, a Republican from Texas, talking on the phone
Rep. August Pfluger, a Republican from Texas.

Pfluger was several months late disclosing numerous stock purchases or sales made in January or March either by himself or by his wife.

Rep. Brian Higgins, a Democrat from New York
rep. Brian Higgins
Rep. Brian Higgins.

Higgins was about 11 months late disclosing three stock trades he made in late 2020.

Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Democrat from Illinois
Cheri Bustos
Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Democrat from Illinois.

Bustos was months late in disclosing that she had sold up to $150,000 worth of stocks in March.

Rep. Steve Chabot, a Republican from Ohio
Steve Chabot
Steve Chabot, a Republican from Ohio.

Chabot was months late disclosing a stock share exchange he held in early 2021.

Rep. Victoria Spartz, a Republican from Indiana
Rep. Victoria Spartz, a Republican from Indiana, stands at a press conference.
Rep. Victoria Spartz, a Republican from Indiana.

Spartz was two weeks late disclosing a purchase of up to $50,000 worth of stock in a commercial real-estate firm.

Rep. Rick Allen, a Republican from Georgia
Rep. Rick Allen, a Republican from Georgia, stands outside the US Capitol holding a mask.
Rep. Rick Allen, a Republican from Georgia.

Allen, a four-term Republican who represents a large southeastern region of Georgia, appears to have improperly disclosed the purchases and sales of several stocks during 2019 and 2020.

Rep. Kim Schrier, a Democrat from Washington
Rep. Kim Schrier speaks at a press conference
Rep. Kim Schrier, a Democrat from Washington.

Schrier was more than two months late disclosing that her husband purchased up to $1 million in Apple Inc. stock, Sludge and Forbes reported. Schrier's office told Insider that the congresswoman was initially unaware of the transaction.

Rep. Kurt Schrader, a Democrat from Oregon
Rep. Kurt Schrader walking by the US Capitol
Rep. Kurt Schrader, a Democrat from Oregon, is the latest member of Congress to violate the federal Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 by improperly disclosing personal stock trades.

Schrader failed to disclose two stock trades from December 2021 on time.

Rep. Mike Kelly, a Republican from Pennsylvania
Mike Kelly
Rep. Mike Kelly, a Republican from Pennsylvania.

Kelly was more than seven weeks late reporting a stock purchase made by his wife.

Rep. Chris Jacobs, a Republican from New York
Rep. Chris Jacobs, a Republican from New York, walks outside the US Capitol
Rep. Chris Jacobs, a Republican from New York.

Jacobs was months late filing various transactions made throughout early- to mid-2021, Forbes reported.

Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia
Rep. Bobby Scott
Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia.

Scott was months late in disclosing a pair of stock sales from December 2020, Forbes reported. NPR also reported several other late transactions, as first identified by the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center.

Rep. Austin Scott, a Republican from Georgia
Rep. Austin Scott, a Republican from Georgia, walks off the stage at a rally featuring former US President Donald Trump on September 25, 2021 in Perry, Georgia. Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker, Georgia Secretary of State candidate Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA), and Georgia Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Burt Jones (R-GA) also appeared as guests at the rally.
Rep. Austin Scott, a Republican from Georgia.

Scott, a Republican from Georgia, was a week late reporting a handful of transactions conducted by his spouse.

Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Democrat from Colorado
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Democrat of Colorado, filed stock transactions late.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Democrat from Colorado.

Perlmutter ran a few days late in filing disclosures for as much as $30,000 in stock trades his wife made in June.

Dwight Evans, a Democrat from Pennsylvania
Rep. Dwight Evans
Dwight Evans, a Democrat from Pennsylvania.

Evans in December 2021 failed to properly disclose a sale of up to $15,000 worth of stock in American Electric Power Co. Inc. 

Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from New York
Rep. Tom Suozzi
U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi speaks at a ceremony honoring heroic police officers at police headquarters in Glen Cove, New York on August 24, 2020.

Suozzi failed to file required reports on about 300 financial transactions, NPR reported, citing research from the Campaign Legal Center. In March 2022, Suozzi disclosed more than 30 stock trades months or years past a federal deadline, Insider reported. In May 2022, he disclosed 10 more stock trades weeks past the federal deadline for doing so.

Rep. Warren Davidson, a Republican from Ohio
warren davidson
Rep. Warren Davidson, a Republican from Ohio.

Davidson didn't properly disclose the sale of stock worth up to $100,000, reported NPR, citing Campaign Legal Center research.

Rep. Lance Gooden, a Republican from Texas
lance gooden
Rep. Lance Gooden, a Republican from Texas.

Gooden failed to file mandatory periodic transaction reports for a dozen stock transactions, per the STOCK Act, reported NPR, citing Campaign Legal Center research. Gooden's office disputed to the Dallas Morning News that the lawmaker did anything wrong.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Republican from Tennessee
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Republican from Tennessee, is interviewed by CQ Roll Call in his Cannon Building office, about losing his parents to cancer, February 25, 2016.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Republican from Tennessee.

Fleischmann, a Republican from Tennessee, was late in disclosing a pair of stock transactions together worth up to $30,000.

Rep. Michael Burgess, a Republican from Texas
Rep. Michael Burgess, a Republican of Texas, smiles and gestures while greeting America's Health Insurance Plans President and CEO Karen Ignagni during a policy meeting on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Michael Burgess, a Republican from Texas.

In December 2021, Burgess failed to disclose on time the sale of 100 stock shares in health insurer Cigna Corp. 

Rep. Cindy Axne, a Democrat from Iowa
Cindy Axne Iowa
Rep. Cindy Axne, a Democrat from Iowa.

During 2019 and 2020, Axne didn't file required periodic transaction reports for more than three-dozen trades, reported NPR, citing research by the Campaign Legal Center.

Del. Michael San Nicolas, a Democrat from Guam
Del. Michael San Nicolas of Guam, at the US Capitol
Del. Michael San Nicolas, a Democrat from Guam.

San Nicolas did not properly disclose two trades — one in 2019 and another in 2020, reported NPR, citing Campaign Legal Center research.

Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont
Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont
Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont.

Welch, an outspoken environmentalist, was late disclosing the sale of his wife's ExxonMobil stock. In December, Welch's office told Insider that the congressman and his wife would both stop trading individual stocks.

Rep. Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana
Jim Banks
Rep. Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana.

Banks was a week late reporting a handful of stock transactions.

Rep. Mike Garcia, a Republican from California
Rep. Mike Garcia
Rep. Mike Garcia, a Republican from California.

Garcia was late disclosing several stock trades he made in mid-2020, as first reported by the American Independent.

Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican from Virginia
wittman
Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican from Virginia.

Wittman was a few days late in disclosing four of his stock transactions that included pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson.

Rep. Alan Lowenthal, a Democrat from California
Rep. Alan Lowenthal
Rep. Alan Lowenthal, a Democrat from California.

Lowenthal was late disclosing his wife's purchase of a corporate bond in cloud computing and technology company VMWare, worth between $15,001 and $50,000, Forbes reported. "We have no comment," Lowenthal spokesman Keith Higginbotham told Insider on November 18.

Rep. Jim Hagedorn, a Republican from Minnesota
Rep. Jim Hagedorn
Rep. Jim Hagedorn, a Republican from Minnesota.

Hagedorn was more than three months late disclosing the sale of stock in a company that makes colon cancer-screening products. Hagedorn died in February 2022.

Rep. Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas
roger williams
Rep. Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas.

Williams did not properly report three stock transactions his wife made in 2019, reported NPR, citing Campaign Legal Center research.

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