Petition to Stop Corrupt Insider Trading in Congress
In 2021, 56 members of Congress did not properly report their financial trades under the STOCK Act — which was created a decade ago to stop insider trading and conflicts of interest. Take action now.
Lawmakers are required to disclose any stock trades made by themselves, their spouses, or their dependents, but many routinely violate the STOCK Act because the consequences are minimal and inconsistent. And those who do disclose their trades bought and sold $355 million worth of stock last year alone — an average of $663,500 in trades for each lawmaker.
It’s clear that the STOCK Act is not enough to stop insider trading in Congress. Lawmakers should not be buying and selling stock in the first place.
Take action to stop members of Congress from getting rich from insider trading.
Members of Congress have access to confidential information. At the same time, they are determining our federal policies. As they are voting on legislation that could impact the country and our planet, they can buy and sell stocks associated with those decisions.
The new Congressional Stock Trading Act would require lawmakers and their immediate family members to put stocks they own in blind trusts to eliminate conflicts of interest.
Members of Congress should be focused on doing their jobs and serving their constituents, not lining their pockets. But they need to hear from concerned people like you, patty.
Sign now to stop Congress from trading stock.
Several members of Congress made trades in the early hours of the COVID-19 pandemic — well before the public had any knowledge of the severity of the looming threat to public health. Some members of Congress invested in industries that profited from the crisis, while others divested from sectors like hotels and restaurants that were greatly impacted.
It’s no wonder that a report found lawmakers routinely earn higher returns on their trades than average citizens.
Lawmakers have access to closed-door briefings on health, national security, and technology industries — and that’s not all. The insider knowledge gives them an edge, allowing them to turn a profit instead of focusing on serving the country. patty, we need your help to put an end to this practice.
Tell Congress to stop insider trading.
Standing with you,
Doug Norlen,
Economic policy program director,
Friends of the Earth Action
