The Briefing Room
General Category => Politics/Government => Topic started by: OfTheCross on September 20, 2019, 06:49:29 pm
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An analysis of personal financial disclosure data as of 16 August has found that 51 senators and their spouses have as much as $96m personally invested in corporate stocks in five key sectors: communications/electronics; defense; energy and natural resources; finance, insurance and real estate; and health.
The majority of these stocks come from public companies, and some are private.
Overall, the senators are invested in 338 companies – including tech firms such as Apple and Microsoft, oil and gas giants including ExxonMobil and Antero Midstream, telecom companies including Verizon, and major defense contractors such as Boeing – in the five sectors as categorized by Sludge.
It’s not illegal for members of Congress to have personal financial stakes in the industries on which they legislate. But such investments raise questions about lawmakers’ motivations. If a representative on the House financial services committee owns hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock in Bank of America, how might this investment affect their questioning of Bank of America’s CEO in a hearing? Could it influence how they legislate and vote on banking issues?
guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/19/us-senators-investments-conflict-of-interest)
I think all public servants on the National level should probably divest or put their assets in a blind trust while they serve.
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I think all public servants on the National level should probably divest or put their assets in a blind trust while they serve.
I agree. Is it any wonder that the government is so corrupt?
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Initial post seems to express surprise, which is curious.
Reality is that DC has been Home Base for crony capitalists
since the Republican ascendancy post Civil War. Reality!!!