Busted: 62 members of Congress caught breaking the law

At least 62 members of 118th Congress have violated a federal insider trading and conflicts-of-interest law, a Raw Story analysis of congressional financial disclosures reveals.

Most of these violations involve failures to properly disclose stock trades as required by the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012. Some involve not abiding by the transparency and personal financial disclosure requirements first outlined in the STOCK Act's post-Watergate predecessor, the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

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The most significant violator clocked in as much as six-and-a-half years late when reporting up to $8.5 million in stock transactions — Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA). Another lawmaker was just a couple days late but still logged up to $165,000 in late stock disclosures — Rep. John Curtis (R-UT). Between them are numerous other Republicans and Democrats alike who have consistently failed to abide by the STOCK Act.

The Obama-era law intends to stop insider trading, curb conflicts-of-interest and enhance transparency by requiring key government officials, including members of Congress, to publicly report within 45 days most purchases, sales and exchanges of stocks, bonds, commodity futures, securities and cryptocurrencies.

The excuses from the 2023-2024 violators are numerous:

“I mistakenly left it in draft” — Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC)

“A clerical error” — Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)

“Administrative error” — Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC)

Website processing issues — Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)

Financial advisers are to blame — Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) and Allen.

In an exclusive interview with Raw Story, one of the STOCK Act’s original authors, former Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), blasted Congress for its continued excuses for failing to abide by the law.

“I mean, come on. ‘The dog ate my homework,’ aren’t we a little more grown up than that?” Baird said. “If we're capable of voting on whether or not to raise or lower taxes or send people to war, I think we can report when we make an investment.”

The standard fine for violating the STOCK Act is $200, but frequently the House Committee on Ethics and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics waive the fee.

Craig Holman, a Capitol Hill lobbyist on ethics and campaign finance rules for nonprofit Public Citizen, said the fee is one of two reasons why the STOCK Act is frequently violated.

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“The penalty is so minimal that these millionaire members of Congress really don't care about it," Holman told Raw Story. “The second provision is the ethics committees are not really enforcing it or taking it seriously.”

The steady stream of violations come at a time when a bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced several similar bills aimed at banning congressional stock trading. For instance, the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, introduced by Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in September 2023, would require members of Congress and their family members to divest from their stocks or place them a blind trust.

“Members of Congress should not be playing the stock market while we make federal policy and have extraordinary access to confidential information,” Ossoff said in a press release. “Stock trading by members of Congress massively erodes public confidence in Congress with serious appearance of impropriety, which is why we should ban stock trading by members of Congress altogether.”

The Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act, ultimately advanced out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on July 24, which would immediately ban members of Congress from buying stocks and would prohibit them from selling stocks 90 days after enactment.

Members’ spouses and dependent children would be prohibited from trading stocks starting in March 2027, which is when the president and vice president would also be required to divest from covered investments, including securities, commodities, futures, options and trusts.

But that would require passage by both chambers and the president's signature in order for it to become law — something that's yet to happen.

Here are the 62 members of Congress (and counting) that Raw Story and other media organizations have identified as having violated the STOCK Act during 2023-2024:

Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA)

Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) was as much as six-and-a-half years late in reporting 136 stock and other financial transactions totaling up to $8.56 million. (Source: U.S. House of Representatives)

Allen was as much as six-and-a-half years late in reporting 136 stock and other financial transactions on an Aug. 10, 2023 disclosure — totaling between $3.05 million and $8.56 million. (Lawmakers are only required by law to disclose the values of their transactions in broad ranges.)

The stock transactions span dozens of companies such as defense contractor CAE Inc, energy companies Dominion Energy, General Electric, ExxonMobil, NextEra Energy and Phillips 66, technology companies such as Microsoft and Verizon, and mining company Freeport-McMo-Ran.

“Congressman Allen’s investment decisions are handled by a financial adviser, who uses investment managers to implement trades at their own discretion, without consulting with or getting input from the Congressman,” said Carlton Norwood Jr., a spokesperson for Allen. “In May of this year, Congressman Allen became aware of some reporting issues and omissions that were caused by a compliance firm he had engaged. At that point, he hired counsel and a new compliance firm to start working with the House Ethics Committee to ensure all trades have been properly reported.”

This is at least the third separate time Allen has violated the STOCK Act.

Raw Story reported in June that Allen was late in disclosing his spouse’s March 27 sale — valued between $100,001 to $250,000 — of stock in SouthState Corporation, a financial services company.

In 2021, Insider reported that Allen has several financial filing flubs related to his stock trade activity from 2019 and 2020.

Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND)

Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) speaks alongside other House Oversight and Accountability Committee members in May. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Armstrong asked for, and received, a standard 90-day extension to file his 2022 annual financial disclosure report. He should have filed by Aug. 13, 2023. But he didn’t file until Sept. 8, making him one of 11 legislators who failed to file their 2022 annual reports on time, according to a Raw Story analysis of federal records and reporting from congressional research organization Legistorm.

When Armstrong did file, he reported earning royalties and working interest from hundreds of oil and gas wells, along with various mutual funds and rental properties.

Roll Call reported in 2019 that Armstrong earned at least $400,000 from the wells and as much as $1.1 million the previous year, along with a $75,000 salary from Armstrong Corp., his family’s oil and gas business, while serving on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

Armstrong’s latest report only shows that his wife earned a salary from BLST Operating Company LLC of an undisclosed amount.

Armstrong currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its subcommittees on Energy, Climate and Grid Security; Innovation, Data and Commerce; and Oversight and Investigations.

He also serves on the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Armstrong’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA)

Barragán was nearly three months late reporting a purchase of U.S. Treasury bonds valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

Barragán reached out to the House Committee on Ethics about a new IRA roll-over account on March 27, Liam Forsythe, chief of staff for Barrágan told Raw Story via email.

"Upon opening the account she advised the independent manager she could not purchase or sell individual stocks. She was advised the account would be managed with mutual fund and exchange traded funds," Forsythe said. "Rep. Barragán noticed more activity than usual on a monthly statement and asked Ethics to review it for any guidance on reporting requirements."

During the review with the House Committee on Ethics, Barragán learned about two trades for Treasury bonds, which was "something Rep. Barragán has never purchased and was unfamiliar with," Forsythe said.

The House Committee on Ethics determined the trades were in an IRA roll-over but not in a fund, advising Barragán to file a report and to pay a "first-time late fee." which Barragán did immediately along with filing a fee waiver, Forsythe said.

Barragán was again late by four months on April 25 with disclosing another Treasury bond purchase, valued between $15,001 and $50,000.

Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA)

Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) speaks during House Committee on Foreign Affairs testimony in March 2021. Ting Shen-Pool/Getty Images

Bera was more than three months late in filing his 2022 annual financial disclosure report. He did not request an extension, meaning he should have disclosed his personal finances by May 15, 2023. He filed on Sept. 1.

Among other mutual funds and exchange traded funds, Bera reported owning up to $14 million in rental properties through a joint trust, along with up to $2.5 million in mortgages.

“Rep. Bera inadvertently missed the filing deadline. Upon realizing he was late, the congressman filed his financial disclosure and paid the associated late fees,” Travis Horne, communications director for Bera, told Raw Story via email.

Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK)

Bice reported two U.S. Treasury bill purchases as part of a joint trust from 2023, reported between nine months and a year late, according to U.S. House records. The purchases were each valued between $15,001 and $50,000.

Bice’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC)

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) was late reporting up to $5 million in Treasury notes. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Bishop failed to properly disclose purchasing up to $5 million in U.S. Treasury notes, more than three months past the federal deadline.

The May 4, 2023 disclosure said, “The submittal of this report is late because I mistakenly left it in draft and failed to submit when originally posted in Dec. 2022.”

Bishop’s team confirmed this in a statement.

“When submitting PTRs in December for U.S. Treasury securities purchased, Congressman Bishop mistakenly omitted to press ‘submit’ for the last of the three filings. He submitted it immediately upon discovering the mistake, and regrets the error,” said Allie McCandless, a spokesperson for Bishop.

Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)

Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) was a day late reporting $30,000 in Treasury bond sales. Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images

Boozman appeared to be in violation of the STOCK Act with a disclosure filed on Aug. 21, 2023, a day past the 45-day disclosure deadline. He reported up to $30,000 in Treasury bond sales and purchases.

Boozman appeared to violate the STOCK Act again on May 8 when he was more than a month late reporting four transactions involving U.S. Treasuries in exchange-traded funds. The transactions were each valued between $1,001 to $15,000.

Boozman’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s requests for comment regarding either violation.

Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)

Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) violated the STOCK Act for the third time in 14 months. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

For the third time in 14 months, Carper missed the 45-day disclosure deadline by being as much as two weeks late in reporting his spouse’s U.S. Treasury bill purchases and sales totaling up to $345,000, as well as a PayPal stock sale up to $15,000, according to a June 30, 2023 federal financial report.

“There was a clerical error,” Natasha Dabrowski, Carper’s communications director, told Raw Story. “Senator Carper is working with the Ethics Committee so he can fully resolve the matter.”

Raw Story reported in March that Carper was more than a year late in disclosing his wife Martha Ann Stacy’s $2,991.98 sale of stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. Carper, as chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, advocated for Taiwan's inclusion in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Carper's team also indicated a "simple clerical error" at that time.

Carper was also months late in disclosing Stacy’s $1,124 sale of stock in international mining company, Barrick Gold Corp., in November 2021, Insider reported last year.

Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA)

Carter was more than eight months late disclosing the sale of government securities for the Atlanta, Ga., Development Authority, valued between $15,001 and $50,000, as a subholding of brokerage and investment banking firm Stifel, according to a June 28 congressional filing.

Carter's congressional office did not respond to Raw Story's request for comment.

Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL)

Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) was as much as two-and-a-half years late disclosing eight purchases of Myno Carbon Corp. stock. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Casten was as much as two-and-a-half years late in some cases in reporting eight purchases of Myno Carbon Corp. stock through a family investment vehicle.

Total value: between $127,008 and $380,000.

“These transactions were loans and equity investments made by Rep. Casten’s family investment firm, a company in which he holds a minority, non-controlling stake and has no active participation in,” Jacob Vurpillat, a spokesperson for Casten, told Raw Story. “Rep. Casten was unaware of the transactions until August 2023, at which point he proactively consulted with the House Ethics Committee to determine if they are subject to House financial disclosure rules.”

Casten disclosed the transactions “in the interest of providing as much transparency as possible to his constituents,” Vurpillat said, amending his 2021 and 2022 annual financial reports, along with filing a new transaction report on January 16.

Vurpillat said Casten has not been assessed a late fee.

“To be clear – Rep. Casten does not own individual stock, has not owned any during his time in Congress, and is a long-time supporter of the movement to ban members of Congress from trading individual stock,” Vurpillat told Raw Story via email.

Casten again appeared to violate the STOCK Act when he reported in August 2024 three purchases of corporate securities in carbon removal company, Myno Carbon Corporation, between two to eight months late.

The investments were valued between $30,003 and $115,000 total.

Vurpillat again emphasized that the transactions were made by a family investment firm, saying, “They were made by a family member without Rep. Casten’s prior knowledge. Upon learning of the transaction, he proactively consulted with the House Ethics Committee to determine how to best disclose them to the public.”

Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA)

Collins violated a the STOCK Act by reporting two Ethereum cryptocurrency purchases — each valued between $1,001 to $15,000 — as much as a month late.

He made the purchases on Oct. 9 and Nov. 5, but he did not publicly report them until Dec. 22, missing the 45-day federal deadline. Collins properly reported on Dec. 22 two separate Ethereum purchases, each valued at up to $15,000. Collins' congressional office did not respond to Raw Story's requests for comment.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA)

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) was late disclosing up to $80,000 in stocks. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Connolly, who’s served as a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, was late disclosing three stock sales in power generation company Dominion Energy Inc., technology and engineering company Leidos and information technology firm Science Applications International Corporation, valued between $17,002 and $80,000, according to a Jan. 24 financial disclosure.

Connolly told Raw Story he submitted his digitally signed stock trade disclosure document several days late to the Clerk of the House of Representatives because his financial advisers were late notifying his wife, who files his congressional disclosure reports, about the stock sales.

Rep. John Curtis (R-UT)

Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) was two days late disclosing up to $165,000 in stock trades. George Frey/Getty Images

Curtis was two days late disclosing 11 stock trades totaling between $11,001 and $165,000, according to an Aug. 7, 2023 federal disclosure. Curtis reported stock transactions in a handful of companies, including Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Sysco Corporation, T-Mobile, Valero Energy and semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices.

“A law firm handles the preparation and filing of all periodic transaction reports for Congressman Curtis,” said Corey Norman, chief of staff to Curtis, in a statement. “The law firm filed the PTR on the business day following the report’s Saturday due date. A late fee is not typically assessed when a report is filed on the next business day and the law firm would address that as the responsible party if a minor fee is assessed.”

In mid-March, Curtis was one of five members of Congress who dumped their personal stock shares in now-defunct First Republic Bank, which at the time was bleeding stock value amid the meltdown of three regional banks, Raw Story reported.

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI)

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) was late reporting up to $15,000 in Disney stock. Allison Shelley/Getty Images North America/TNS

Dingell submitted a disclosure on May 15 reporting the purchase of $1,001 to $15,000 in Disney stock on Nov. 29.

“Congresswoman Dingell discovered the omission while filing her annual financial disclosure and acted immediately to rectify the issue by promptly filing a periodic transaction report,” said Michaela Johnson, a spokesperson for Dingell.

“She will continue to defer financial decisions to a financial adviser and has directed her office to proactively take measures to ensure this issue does not occur again,” Johnson said. “She will continue to support efforts in Congress to increase transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to trading stocks and financial portfolios.”

Dingell also purchased stock in medical devices technology company Medtronic while serving on House subcommittees with oversight on health and technology, Raw Story reported on Dec. 19, 2023.

Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC)

Duncan was more than seven months late in disclosing two stock sales in his individual retirement account, according to a congressional financial filing from May 23, 2024.

Duncan reported the sales of Colgate-Palmolive and JD.com stock, each valued between $1,001 to $15,000.

The report noted that the transactions were tax-deferred rollovers from Duncan's individual retirement account with Raymond James to a thrift savings plan.

"Due to balance requirement at Raymond James of $10,000, I was forced to sell the stocks and then I rolled the balance into my TSP via the TSP rollover process, never touching or having access to the funds," the report said.

Duncan's congressional office did not respond to Raw Story's multiple request for comment.

Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS)

Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) was about four months late reporting up to $45,000 in Treasury bonds. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Estes reported three April purchases of up to $45,000 in U.S. Treasury savings bonds on a Sept. 30 financial disclosure — about four months past the 45-day deadline.

Estes serves on the Committee on Ways and Means, Budget Committee, Education and the Workforce Committee and Joint Economic Committee. The Committee on Ways and Means oversees the country’s bonded debt.

Estes’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA)

Fetterman formally reported on Aug. 13, 2024, 30 corporate bond transactions and one stock sale made on behalf of his dependent children during 2023 — with the oldest transaction reported about 17 months after a federally mandated deadline.

An unidentified dependent child made a partial sale of stock in petroleum company Marathon Oil on Jan. 24, 2023, valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

The 30 corporate bonds include investments in a variety of companies, including multinational conglomerate General Electric, electric services company Florida Power and Light, petroleum company Phillips 66 Partners, steel producer Steel Dynamics and multinational financial services company, Bank of America.

The corporate bonds are valued between $58,030 and $430,000 total.

“Sen. Fetterman filed an amendment to his financial disclosures that included investments for his children that were created by generous grandparents who were unaware of the reporting requirements,” said a spokesperson for Fetterman’s campaign, who declined to be named. “Once Sen. Fetterman was made aware of the investments, he immediately filed the appropriate disclosures.”

Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID)

Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID) was more than a year late reporting a sale up to $15,000 of Banc of California stock. (Photo by Bonnie Cash-Pool/Getty Images)

Fulcher reported on May 12, 2023, that he sold Banc of California stock shares worth between $1,001 to $15,000. The date of the sale was March 15, 2022, meaning his disclosure was more than a year late.

Fulcher’s team did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)

Gallego appeared to violate the STOCK Act in August when he disclosed two transactions nearly two and five years late.

Gallego disclosed on Aug. 13, 2024 an August 2019 purchase of non-publicly traded stock in investment advisory, Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC, valued between $15,001 and $50,000.

Gallego also purchased corporate securities in pronunciation guide services company NameCoach Inc. in June 2022. This investment is also valued between $15,001 and $50,000.

"Rep. Gallego believes elected officials should be transparent and accountable to the people they represent, which is why he has co-sponsored legislation to clean up Washington and implement stricter disclosure requirements," said a spokesperson for Gallego, who declined to be named. "These investments were disclosed in previous filings and the recently filed report corrects inadvertent errors."

Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX)

Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) speaks a news conference in October 2021 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Garcia filed her 2022 annual disclosure on Sept. 12, 2023 after receiving a 90-day extension. She was about a month past her deadline.

“Due to an inadvertent internal miscommunication, the report was not filed by the due date of August 13. As soon as we discovered this error, Rep. Garcia filed the report, and we were in communication with the House Ethics Committee regarding the late filing. This matter was fully resolved upon the filing of the report,” said Chris McCarthy, Garcia’s deputy chief of staff, via email.

“Per the committee’s written guidance, there is a 30-day grace period before late fees are imposed, and this report was filed within that window.”

Garcia reported several mutual funds, three pensions totaling $114,112.08 and up to $265,000 in home debt.

“I do not manage any financial trades as I only have tax deferred 457 retirement accounts that exclusively contain mutual funds and other diversified funds. I do not buy, sell or trade stock or maintain a stock portfolio,” said Garcia in a statement shared with Raw Story.

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI)

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) was more than a year late reporting up to $30,000 in Treasury bonds. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Grothman was more than a year late in reporting two purchases of U.S. Treasury Series I savings bonds totaling up to $30,000, according to a June 27, 2023, federal financial disclosure.

Grothman reported on May 14, 2024, three purchases of U.S. savings bonds, ranging from nearly two weeks to 14 months late. Each purchase was valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

Grothman’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Rep. Bill Hagerty (R-TN)

Sen. Bill Hagerty speaks on the at the CPAC Washington, DC conference on March 2, 2023 (Photo by Shutterstock/lev radin)

Hagerty reported a stock exchange in Crestwood Equity Partners LP on Nov. 6, 2023, about eight months after the 45-day deadline.

A note on Hagerty’s report said, “While no immediate [periodic transaction report] required, provided to clearly denote basis for the renamed asset on the 2023 annual report that was previously named CEQP.”

“Sen. Hagerty worked closely with the Senate Ethics Committee to properly document why this asset was renamed on his 2023 annual report in order to be fully compliant with the Committee’s rules. Here, there was no economic change—rather, the security involved is reflected under a different name on this year’s report as a result of a merger transaction," said Audrey Traynor, a spokesperson for Hagerty. "Sen. Hagerty did not purchase or sell the asset, but simply filed a periodic transaction report to clearly and transparently document the reason for the name change on the annual report.”

A Raw Story review of financial disclosures did not show a periodic transaction report — the formal name of a congressional financial disclosure for assets the STOCK Act mandates must be reported within 45 days of a transaction — previously filed for the asset.

Hagerty previously violated the STOCK Act in 2022, according to Business Insider. He also reported in 2022 that his four children are minority owners, alongside actress Reese Witherspoon and professional football player Derrick Henry, in Nashville’s major league soccer team.

Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI)

Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) speaks at a House Financial Services Committee hearing in May. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Huizenga filed his annual report 10 days late, on Aug. 23, after receiving a 90-day extension.

He reported up to $1.1 million in income from Huizenga Gravel Company and Huizenga Gravel LLC, which he owns with his cousin, according to The Detroit News. He also reported land ownership through Huizenga Development Land LLC, a rental property, mutual funds and ownership interests in health and wellness companies.

Huizenga’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)

Darrell Issa Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) speaks during House Judiciary Committee field hearing on New York City violent crimes at Javits Federal Building in New York City on April 17, 2023(Photo by lev radin/Shutterstock)

Issa was late reporting 19 sales of U.S. Treasury bills, some more than six months late. The transactions are valued between $71 million and $355 million total.

Issa’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL)

Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), left, was late in disclosing up to $300,000 in stock transactions. (Source: U.S. House of Representatives.)

Jackson was late in disclosing up to $300,000 in stock transactions he made earlier this year, according to a disclosure he submitted on May 12.

“We announced that the filing was delayed, and we take this matter seriously. However, I want to emphasize that we are now in full compliance, and I've implemented measures to ensure timely filings in the future,” Jackson told Raw Story. “Setting up the new office, we've changed a compliance officer, and that contributed to the delay, so very comfortable with our team now.”

Jackson disclosed four January stock purchases, ranging from $15,001 to $50,000 each, for electronics manufacturer AMETEK Inc., Deere & Company, Parker-Hannifin Corporation and Visa.

On Feb. 28, he purchased $15,001 to $50,000 in Brighthouse Financial Inc. stock and sold UnitedHealth Group stock in the same price range.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing in June 2022. (Photo by Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)

Jackson Lee filed her annual report on Oct. 4, 2023, nearly two months after her extended deadline of Aug. 13. She had asked for a 90-day filing extension in May.

On Jackson Lee’s handwritten financial disclosure report, she reported up to $1 million in home debt, along with retirement accounts and a pension from the City of Houston that is yet to be received.

Despite a stamp from the Legislative Resource Center indicating that her report was filed Oct. 4, Jackson Lee's congressional team denied that she was out of compliance with the law.

“Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee filed her financial disclosure forms in compliance with all rules and regulations established for members in filing these financial forms,” Lillie Coney, chief of staff and spokesperson for Jackson Lee, told Raw Story via email. “The member is and was in compliance with the filing of this year's financial disclosure form and all others. All other inquiries are not applicable to the member.”

Raw Story asked Jackson Lee’s office — and all legislators with violations — questions about her office's contact with the House Committee on Ethics, compliance with training for financial disclosures and responsibility for management of any investments.

An email from Coney indicated that "investments are not managed by the member."

Rep. John James (R-MI)

Rep. John James (R-MI) at the Republican National Convention on July 15 (Photo by Maxim Elramsisy/Shutterstock)

James failed to disclose 145 stock trades on time, The Detroit News reported. The oldest transactions reported by James on Sept. 2 were from November 2023, disclosed more than eight months past the federal deadline.

Campaign finance reform political action committee, End Citizens United, filed a complaint against James with the House Committee on Ethics about the late transactions valued up to $2.2 million total.

“Rep. James kept the public in the dark on millions of dollars of stock trades and his own personal finances and must be held accountable,” said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, in a press release. “His blatant disregard for the law, which he is clearly well aware of, is unacceptable and shows he cannot be trusted.”

James was also nearly three months late disclosing an April 25, 2024 trade of TJX stock on his Sept. 6 financial disclosure.

James’ congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. David Joyce (R-OH)

Joyce reported on Aug. 6 a dozen stock transactions after the 45-day deadline required by the STOCK Act with three of the transactions dating back to July 2022, reported nearly two years late. The rest are from June 2023, reported a year late. The transactions are valued between $138,012 and $495,000 total.

Investments include stock in aerospace corporation Boeing, multinational investment bank Citigroup, private credit manager Golub Capital and energy company TC Energy Corporation. Some investments are part of a trust, others from a retirement account.

Joyce's congressional office did not respond to Raw Story's request for comment.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) sold $1,280.03 worth of stock in The Andersons, Inc, reporting it five months late. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Kaptur submitted a disclosure on May 15 that revealed she sold $1,280.03 worth of stock in The Andersons, Inc. — an agriculture supply company.

She made the sale on Oct. 21, 2023, meaning her disclosure was more than five months late.

“In 38 years of filing congressional disclosure reports, Congresswoman Kaptur has never purchased or traded individual stocks,” said Ben Kamens, communications director for Kaptur. “When her brother passed away in 2021, she inherited her first individual stocks and fully disclosed she would hold and not trade them.”

Kamens continued, “In 2022, it became clear that as a result of redistricting Congresswoman Kaptur would represent the Ohio agribusiness whose stock she had inherited. To avoid even the appearance of any conflict with her official work, Congresswoman Kaptur promptly sold all of her shares in the stock.”

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ)

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) was up to four months late disclosing six stock transactions. Jeff Fusco/Getty Images

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) violated the STOCK Act when, on Sept. 18, 2023, he was as much as four months late disclosing six personal stock transactions, totaling up to $90,000.

Kean reported stock purchases in metal can manufacturing company Crown Holdings, medical and industrial conglomerate Danaher Corporation and financial services companies Fidelity National Information Services and JP Morgan Chase. He also reported two stock sales in Fidelity and financial technology company Global Payments, Inc., as a part of the Kean Family Partnership.

“Upon taking office, I hired professionals to make certain that any and all transactions that I have control or interest in are reported accurately and quickly,” Kean himself told Raw Story via a statement. “However, this week, the attorney charged with overseeing my personal transaction reporting for the House shared with me that transactions from a family trust account, which I have no control over, were shared with him in an untimely fashion despite regular check-ins and confirmation of accurate reporting.”

Kean was particularly critical of former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) who he beat out for the congressional seat and who also violated the STOCK Act.

Kean appeared to again violate the STOCK Act in August 2024 and September 2024 when he was more than nine months late disclosing the sale of an asset in New Jersey bank, Regal Bancorp, and four days late disclosing stock in industrial technology conglomerate, Fortive.

Of the late September 2024 filing, Dan Scharfenberger told Raw Story via email, "This filing is not late but instead is within the grace period established by the Ethics Committee for just such purposes.".

A Jan. 2023 memo from the House Committee on Ethics indicates that a financial disclosure filed after the 45-day deadline is still late, but the standard $200 fine will not be immediately assessed.

"A PTR is late if submitted any time after the due date, but there is a 30-day grace period before late fees are imposed," the memo says.

Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA)

Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) was late in reporting that his wife a made a March 2024 stock purchase in steel manufacturer Cleveland-Cliffs that was nearly identical to a stock transaction that resulted in a 2021 ethics investigation into insider trading, The Erie Times-News reported.

Kelly also missed the 45-day deadline disclosing 10 other stock transactions from his wife, according to a June 14 financial disclosure report.

An October 2021 Office of Congressional Ethics report said there was "substantial reason to believe" his wife, Victoria Kelly, profited on a $15,001 to $50,000 stock purchase in Cleveland-Cliffs by using "confidential information" she learned through her husband, according to Business Insider.

Separately, Business Insider reported in September 2021 that Kelly violated the STOCK Act by failing to properly disclose a stock trade made by his wife.

Sen. Angus King (I-ME)

King was as much as two weeks late in disclosing two of his spouse’s early-November sales of municipal securities, with a total value between $16,002 to $65,000.

“With the filing deadline falling over a long holiday weekend – as it does from time to time – it was submitted as soon as our point person logged on this morning,” Matthew Felling, a spokesperson for King, told Raw Story on Jan. 2. “Senator King and his wife keep their own financial counsel and do not consult each other on investments.”

Felling said the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics had not been in touch with King’s team. King is a co-sponsor of the Ending Trading and Holdings In Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act, one of several bills introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers aimed at banning congressional stock trading.

Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL)

Rep. Darin LaHood spoke about government funding and President Biden's meeting with Chinese President Xi. (C-SPAN)

LaHood reported a November 2022 sale of stock in West Suburban Bancorp more than 20 months late.

The trade was valued between $1,001 and $15,000. (Lawmakers are only required by law to disclose the values of their transactions in broad ranges.)

LaHood’s congressional office did not immediately respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)

Lamborn was over a week late disclosing three purchases of stock in data company NetApp through an individual retirement account. The purchases were each valued between $15,001 and $50,000.

Lamborn also violated the STOCK Act in 2022, Business Insider reported. Lamborn’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH)

Greg Landsman Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) speaks at a House session on Sept. 20, 2024 where legislation passed that would provide presidential candidates with the same level of Secret Service protection as the president. (C-SPAN)

Landsman reported 91 late stock trades from his spouse and a joint trust, some going back to January 2023.

The investments are valued between $203,091 and $1.645 million total. Companies invested in include e-commerce giant Amazon, oil and natural gas company Diamondback Energy, cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and artificial intelligence company Nvidia, to name a few.

“As soon as Greg learned of the transactions, he immediately reported them,” said Alexa Helwig, communications director for Landsman.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), right, was late in disclosing up to $265,000 in her husband's stock sales. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Lofgren, who last year led Democratic House leadership’s self-aborted effort to ban congressional stock trading, was late in reporting her husband’s partial March 23 sale in software company Deskworks Inc. stock, valued between $100,001 to $250,000, on a May 15 federal disclosure.

She was also late in disclosing her husband’s sale of $1,001 to $15,000 worth of Expedia Group stock on August 25, 2022.

“All of these transactions, which are related to my husband’s solo practice retirement accounts, are managed by a financial adviser. I do not know about them until they are reported. If there is a late fee owed, it will be paid,” Lofgren told Raw Story in a statement.

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA)

Lynch was more than three months late in reporting on May 9 his sale of stock in VMware, valued between $1,001 to $15,000., as a part of an individual retirement account.

A note on the May 9 report said that semiconductor and software company Broadcom Inc. acquired VMware.

"Broadcom Inc. re-purchased all VMware Class A stock holdings from portfolios that had less than a 100 shares. The total proceeds for the VMware stock re-purchase were deposited int he IRA Morgan Stanley Money Market Fund as reported on Schedule A," the report said.

Molly Rose Tarpey, a spokesperson for Lynch, said "there is a waiver request out to the Ethics Committee about the late filing and reason behind it." Lynch was still waiting to hear back from the House Committee on Ethics as of May 15.

"This wasn’t a buyer’s sale transaction, it was a corporate transaction. Congressman Lynch did not initiate the sale of the stock," Tarpey told Raw Story via email. "In fact, for as long as he’s held this IRA, he has never engaged in any intentional transaction. This was the result of a forced sale of stock that occurred when the company that Rep. Lynch owned 12 shares of was acquired by another company."

Tarpey continued, "Rep. Lynch had no control over this sale transaction. By the time Rep. Lynch became aware of the forced sale, the deadline had passed. The information was transmitted to the party responsible for submitting the [periodic transaction report] as soon as Rep. Lynch became aware of the need to do so."

Tarpey emphasized that Lynch "does not trade individual stocks," and the transaction was "an involuntary transfer of ownership" due to the acquisition.

"Lynch has not purchased individual stocks since he became a member of Congress in 2001, which was 11 years before the passage of the STOCK Act," Tarpey said, adding that Lynch supported the STOCK Act and similar legislation.

Lynch again appeared to violate the STOCK Act when he reported on Aug. 7, 2023 six sale transactions and one purchase for mutual funds as part of a retirement account, disclosed three weeks late. The transactions’ values ranged between $397,007 and $930,000 total.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY)

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) was late in disclosing two stock transactions up to $30,000. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Malliotakis reported two stock transactions from Jan. 6, 2022, on her Aug.11 disclosure report — one for the purchase of AT&T stock in the $1,001 to $15,000 range and one for the sale of General Electric stock in the same range.

Her congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC)

Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC) appears to have violated the STOCK Act again by failing to disclose a stock purchase for more than a year. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC) reported purchasing $29,122 worth of stock in investment management company Blackstone Inc. on June 10, 2022, jointly with her husband — more than a year late, according to an Aug. 2 federal filing.

“The purchase was inadvertently omitted due to an administrative error. The error was discovered during preparation of the 2022 Annual Report for timely filing on August 2, 2023,” read a description on Manning’s filing.

This is Manning’s second known STOCK Act violation. Sludge reported in February 2022 that Manning and her husband failed to properly report 51 trades totaling between $275,000 and $1.25 million.

Manning’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)

Michael McCaul Rep. Michael McCaul speaks during a House session on Sept. 25, 2024, where a suspension bill to fund the government beyond the September 30 deadline until December 20, 2024 was approved. (C-SPAN)

McCaul was a day late in disclosing six transactions from a spouse and dependent child on Sept. 16, valued between $218,006 to $595,000 total.

Elliot Berke, attorney for McCaul, told Raw Story via an email statement, that all reports for the congressman were filed on time "to the best of our knowledge," and no fees had been assessed.

"I am in contact with the House Ethics Committee, which appreciates the complexity of Congressman McCaul’s financial disclosure given the volume of trades in his spouse’s and children’s managed accounts. If any amendments are required, they will be filed in consultation with the Ethics Committee. I am in touch with the House Ethics Committee on a proactive basis to ensure strict compliance," Berke said. "Congressman McCaul did not purchase these stocks and had no advanced knowledge of the purchase. Rather, his wife has assets she solely owns, and a third-party manager made the purchases without her direction.".

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers was late disclosing up to $300,000 in community bond purchases. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

McMorris Rodgers reported on her Aug. 11 federal disclosure a Dec. 2, 2022, purchase for the Deep Roots Campaign, a community bond in a private K-12 school, valued between $100,001 and $250,000, along with another such bond purchase on May 12, for between $15,001 and $50,000.

Her congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL)

Moskowitz disclosed on Aug. 6 more than 60 stock transactions from an account for a dependent child. Ten of those transactions were from February 2024, reported nearly five months late.

The tardy stocks include investments in companies ranging from health insurance provider Elevance Health to personal care multinational corporation Kimberly-Clark to footwear giant Nike and manufacturing company Snap-on. The value of the 60 investments are each in the $1,001 to $15,000 range.

Later that month Moskowitz violated the STOCK Act again by filing another late financial disclosure for 83 stock transactions, many dating back to July 2023, nearly a year past a federally mandated deadline.

The trades are valued between $224,083 and $1.585 million total, including investments in a wide variety of companies such as Google parent company Alphabet, tech giant Apple, oil and gas corporation Exxon Mobil, aerospace and defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin, energy company NextEra Energy and pharmaceutical company Pfizer. (Lawmakers are only required by law to disclose the values of their transactions in broad ranges.)

Lale M. Morrison, chief of staff for Moskowitz, told Raw Story in an emailed statement, that a law firm conducts monthly monitoring of Moskowitz’s investment accounts and prepares periodic transaction reports, the formal name of a congressional financial disclosure for assets that the STOCK Act mandates must be reported within 45 days of a transaction.

“While preparing the annual financial disclosure report for calendar year 2023, the law firm noticed they had lost access to one of the Morgan Stanley accounts. It appears the issue was the result of a back-end technical error,” Morrison said. “Upon access being restored, the law firm noticed reportable transactions in the account and immediately added the relevant transactions to the congressman’s annual financial disclosure report for calendar year 2023 and prepared a late [periodic transaction report], which was filed on August 21, 2024."

Moskowitz did not provide “any input or direction” on the investments, and an “independent financial manager” made the trades, Morrison said. Even if they use an outside financial manager, members of Congress are personally responsible for adhering to the provisions of the STOCK Act.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA)

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) was late disclosing up to $115,000 in stock transactions. Anna Moneymaker/Getty

Moulton reported on Jan. 27 that his wife in September sold up to $100,000 worth of stock in gaming company Activision Blizzard and in August purchased up to $15,000 worth of stock in Amazon.com.

A spokesperson for Moulton, who's served in Congress since 2015, told Raw Story that the late disclosure was a "mistake" that the congressman will immediately rectify.

“Like a lot of families with two working spouses, the congressman’s family finances can sometimes be complex," Moulton spokesperson Sydney Simon said in an email. "A portion of his wife’s salary is paid in stocks, which they occasionally sell. They have sought guidance on this from both the Ethics Committee and outside counsel to ensure that they’re following all current rules. This particular instance, while a bit embarrassing, is simply a mistake — a deadline oversight that was quickly rectified when caught. Congressman Moulton will be paying the late fee when he gets to Washington later today.”

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA)

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), center at lectern, was late disclosing up to $765,000 in personal stock transactions. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Newhouse failed to properly report up to $765,000 in personal stock transactions, in some cases reporting a year-and-a-half late.

Newhouse reported 61 separate stock transactions on a May 26 financial disclosure, each in the $1,001 to $15,000 range.

Only 10 of the transactions were in compliance with the STOCK Act’s reporting deadlines. Newhouse disclosed stock purchases and sales across a variety of industries, including tech, financial services, agriculture, pharmaceutical and energy companies such as Apple, Tesla, Citigroup, Deere & Company, Eli Lilly and Company, Marathon Petroleum and NextEra Energy.

“In reviewing their finances, the congressman’s spouse noticed an oversight in her filing and took immediate steps to rectify it as soon as possible,” Mike Marinella, Newhouse’s press secretary, said in a statement to Raw Story. “The congressman and his family have always been and will continue to be fully transparent about their finances which is why it was corrected immediately.”

Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI)

Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) speaks during a hearing of the Weaponization of the Federal Government subcommittee in February. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Plaskett, a non-voting delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, filed her annual financial disclosure report on Aug. 29, making her more than three months late. She did not ask for a filing extension, meaning her deadline was May 15.

Like House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Plaskett reported no assets on her annual report. Plaskett reported two sources of spousal income in undisclosed amounts, along with a reporting a $10,000 to $15,000 income tax liability and a graduate student loan between $100,001 and $250,000.

“She recently lost her father and has been very busy settling her widowed mother,” Tionee Scotland, a spokesperson for Plaskett, sent in a text message to Raw Story. “The congresswoman missed the deadline, but has since filed as you can see.”

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)

Pocan was as much as 22 months late reporting the purchases of two U.S. Treasury I Bonds for $20,000 each through a joint trust.

The House Committee on Ethics Committee noticed a periodic transaction report was missing for the purchase of bonds on March 30, 2022, which were reported on Pocan's 2022 annual report, Glenn Wavrunek, chief of staff for Pocan, told Raw Story via email.

Pocan also reported a secondary purchase of I bonds on Jan. 21, 2023, which will also appear on his 2023 annual report, Wavrunek said.

"The congressman also submitted a waiver to the Committee for both purchases since he was not aware that a [periodic transaction report] was required when purchasing US Treasury Bonds," Wavrunek said.

Rep. John Rose (R-TN)

Rep. John Rose (R-TN) spoke with reporters about blocking a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill in May 2019. C-SPAN

Rose, one of the top 25 richest members of Congress, filed his annual financial disclosure report on Sept. 12, a month late.

In May, he had asked for, and received, a 90-day filing extension, meaning his deadline was Aug. 13.

Rose reported income as a limited partner in an entity that owns multi-family residential developments. He also reported a loan to his congressional campaign worth up to $5 million. (Lawmakers are only required to disclose most financial transactions in broad ranges.)

“Filing my financial disclosure form on or before August 15 each year is problematic because I do not receive necessary information applicable to my financial disclosure until after that date,” Rose said in a statement to Raw Story. “I have spoken to the House Ethics Committee about this ongoing problem and believe reform is necessary to give members like me with financial investments and/or who own small businesses the time to accurately complete this disclosure form within the statutory deadline.”

Rose also reported farm real estate owned in a trust and up to $6.1 million in stock in community banks. He reported stock investments, too, including up to $500,000 in Alphabet, the parent company of Google, and up to $750,000 in Microsoft.

“The current disclosure deadline disregards the fact that the IRS tax filing deadline for businesses is September 15, and the filing deadline for individuals is not until October 15 each year,” Rose said. “Consequently, I routinely do not have the necessary information to accurately comply with the financial disclosure requirements in a timely manner. I always attempt to provide accurate and complete information regarding my financial assets, of which the vast majority were earned before I was elected to Congress.”

Rose serves on the House Financial Services and House Agriculture Committees.

Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC)

Ross disclosed on May 14 her spouse’s Nov. 7 exchange of Unity Software stock. Value: somewhere between $1,001 and $15,000.

“This transaction was a stock exchange that resulted from the merger of Unity Software and ironSource, a technology company,” said Josie Feron, a spokesperson for Ross’s office. “While Congresswoman Ross’ husband held Unity stock through his Roth IRA, he did not direct the transaction, and she reported it as soon as she became aware that it had occurred."

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL)

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) appeared to have violated the STOCK Act again in May. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Salazar was a few days late in disclosing her spouse’s $1,001 to $15,000 sale of stock in Florida renewable energy company, NextEra Energy Partners on a May 31 financial disclosure.

While the trade itself wasn't particularly large, the congresswoman has been notably outspoken about STOCK Act violations, publicly shaming her political rival, then-Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL), for failing to disclose stock trades on time.

It also wasn’t Salazar’s first STOCK Act slip-up: Just last year, Insider reported that Salazar was more than two months late in disclosing $500,000 in stock of senior healthcare services company, Cano Health Inc.

Salazar’s congressional office acknowledged receipt of Raw Story’s questions related to the lawmaker’s apparent STOCK Act violation, but representatives for Salazar have not otherwise responded to multiple requests for comment.

Rep. George Santos (R-NY)

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) leaves a GOP caucus meeting in January. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images North America/TNS

Santos, who the U.S. House expelled in December, has yet to file his annual financial disclosure report, originally due May 15. He received an extension until Aug. 13.

The House Committee on Ethics shared a statement and report from the House Investigative Subcommittee that unanimously concluded there was substantial evidence that Santos used his “campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with RedStone Strategies LLC; and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure (FD) Statements filed with the House.”

The report indicated that Santos was sent a letter on Sept. 13 from the committee’s financial disclosure office informing him that he owed a $200 late filing for not filing his financial disclosure statement on time.

On the same day, Santos’ counsel informed the committee he hadn’t filed his 2022 tax returns yet, causing him to miss the filing deadline for his annual report.

The committee urged Santos to file immediately, sending subsequent letters on Sept. 27 and Oct. 20, according to the report.

“The October 20 letter was deemed a ‘final notice’ that if his 2023 FD Statement was not filed by October 27, 2023, the Committee would ‘take action, not inconsistent with section 104 of the [Ethics in Government Act], as it deems appropriate.’ On October 24, 2023, counsel informed the [investigative subcommittee] that Representative Santos paid the $200 late-filing fee, and would be filing his 2023 FD Statement — which Representative Santos has still failed to do,” the report said.

Raw Story previously reported on Santos’ failure to file in August when he bashed his stock-trading colleagues on X, saying, “One thing I’m certain of is that members of congress trading stocks is imoral [sic]!”

“I said I wouldn’t trade and I’m keeping that promise,” he continued.

In October, the Department of Justice announced a 23-count superseding indictment charging Santos with alleged wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, making materially false statements to the House, among others.

Santos has continued to ignore federal filing deadlines, even after being booted from office.

Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD)

Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) was nearly a year late disclosing up to $30,000 in Treasury bonds. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Sarbanes was nearly a year late in disclosing two purchases of U.S. Treasury bonds in June 2022, both in the $1,001-to-$15,000 range.

“Congressman Sarbanes had never purchased Treasury securities and was unfamiliar with the protocol, but he has since worked with the House Ethics Committee to take all necessary steps,” said Natalie Young, communications director for Sarbanes. “He voted for the STOCK Act and supports efforts to establish additional measures addressing transparency and stock ownership.”

Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) violated the STOCK Act when he was late disclosing three of his spouse's stock purchases. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Smith was more than a year late disclosing some of his wife’s purchases of stock in CarterBaldwin, an executive search firm, valued between $3,003 and $45,000, according to a new May 23 financial disclosure.

“Representative Smith became aware of a potential oversight while filing his financial disclosures on May 15,” said Tiffany Haverly, a spokesperson for Smith. “The transactions not reported were spouse transactions related to her employment, which is not a publicly traded company. He does not own any publicly traded stocks and immediately contacted the House Ethics Committee to notify them of the potential oversight and seek additional guidance.”

Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI)

Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) joined a rally with House Democrats in October. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Thanedar, a freshman congressman, filed his annual report on Sept. 27, more than two months after receiving a 60-day extension, to July 14, back in May.

Thanedar reported dozens of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and stocks, including up to $500,000 in Alphabet, up to $100,000 each in Amazon and American Express and up to $1 million in Apple.

Raw Story reported in February that Thanedar sold off Tesla stock valued up to $130,000 after previously being complimentary of Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Thanedar’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) says a website processing error is to blame for a nine-month-late financial disclosure. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Tillis on July 15 disclosed an August 2022 sale of multinational IT services provider Kyndryl Holdings stock valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

Tillis’ congressional office says a “processing” error caused the late submission.

“Senator Tillis disclosed the sale to Senate Ethics within the 45-day window but didn’t realize the submission was never processed through the website,” said Adam Webb, a Tillis spokesperson, in an email. “Senate Ethics was able to see the work he did on his periodic transaction disclosure from that time (which was completed). They also noted this has happened to other members before and they plan to make future improvements to the website to add better submission prompts and notifications.”

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) spoke at an SEIU union worker election day event last November. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Titus filed her handwritten report on Aug. 31 after missing her extended Aug. 13 deadline.

Despite being more than two weeks late filing, Titus’ congressional office denied noncompliance.

“Congresswoman Titus completed her annual financial disclosure report in compliance with all legal and ethical laws and regulations,” Michael McShane, Titus’ communications director, via email. “The Congresswoman also does not trade individual stocks.”

In addition to retirement investments, Titus’s report showed various "common stock" investments through a joint trust, including stock in Amazon, Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Microsoft and Verizon.

Rep. David Trone (D-MD)

David Trone Democratic congressman commits massive stock law violation Rep. David Trone (D-MD) speaking at a U.S. Senate candidate forum in Baltimore on April 22, 2024.

Trone violated federal law by tardily disclosing tens of millions of dollars in government securities and stock trades — nearly a year late in some cases, according to a May 6 congressional financial filling.

Trone reported 28 transactions involving short-term U.S. Treasury bills and a stock sale, valued between $21.65 million and $97.35 million total.

“Congressman Trone is and always has been in good standing with the House Ethics Committee,” Sasha Galbreath, a spokesperson for Trone, told Raw Story via email without further elaborating.

Galbreath later clarified via email, "Congressman Trone disclosed all information relating to these transactions that the rules require, and the Committee staff received notice and a copy of the [periodic transaction report] filing, as well as his full financial disclosure statement, in advance of their filing.”

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz appears to have violated the STOCK Act again with a seven-month-late disclosure. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, was seven months late disclosing a family stock sale, according to a July 11 disclosure, which detailed an October 2022 sale of Adams Resources and Energy Inc. stock on behalf of a dependent child and valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

Wasserman Schultz violated the STOCK Act again on July 1 when she reported five months late a dependent child’s sale of stock in First Trust MLP and Energy Income Fund.

The sale from Dec. 18 was valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

Wasserman Schultz has violated a federal financial disclosure and transparency law multiple times.

Wasserman Schultz first appeared to violate the STOCK Act in 2021 when she was seven months late disclosing up to $60,000 of her and her dependent child’s stock purchases in telecommunications provider Westell Technologies, Insider reported.

Wasserman Schultz’s congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s requests for comment.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) speaks during a news conference with the Democratic members of the House Financial Services Committee and the Sustainable Investment Caucus in July. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Waters filed her annual financial disclosure report on Aug. 31. In May, she received a 90-day filing extension with a deadline of Aug. 13.

When she did file, Waters reported spouse and joint trust rental properties valued at up to $5.8 million. Her spouse’s partnership income in the American Golf Joint Venture is valued at up to $250,000.

They also reported up to $1.75 million in mortgages.

Waters’ congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL)

Webster was more than a year late disclosing the purchase of a U.S. Treasury I bond valued up to $15,000.

“We understand this is a common error given that U.S. Treasury Bonds are government securities and wholly distinct from private stock purchase,” Adam Pakledinaz, a spokesperson for Webster, told Raw Story via email. “As soon as the requirement was brought to Rep. Webster’s attention, we worked with the Ethics Committee to immediately file the necessary paperwork. He is in full compliance and has been told no further action is required.”

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse in Providence, Rhode Island on Nov. 6, 2018, when he won re-election. (Photo by Anthony Ricci/Shutterstock)

Whitehouse was four days late reporting four stock sales from himself and his spouse, including two sales of stock in multinational pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, valued between $15,001 and $50,000 each. He also reported the sale of stock in food manufacturer Conagra Brands and fast food giant McDonalds, each valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

“We regret that the filing was delayed by a few days as a result of a communications gap between consultants,” Meaghan McCabe, communications director for Whitehouse, told Raw Story. “The senator and his wife do not trade stocks, and their account manager acts independently without any input from the senator or his family.”

Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX)

Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) failed to properly report 16 stock trades and one bond transaction from two of his wife’s brokerage accounts, some going back as far as February 2019.

Each stock trade was in the $1,001 to $15,000 range involving a variety of companies such as tech conglomerate Alphabet, artificial intelligence company NVIDIA, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company and media and entertainment conglomerate Walt Disney and Company.

Nonpartisan ethics group, the Campaign Legal Center, previously filed a complaint against Williams and six other members of Congress for failing to properly disclose their stock transactions in 2021, NPR reported. Williams’ 2021 violations involved three undisclosed 2019 stock trades for wife, Patty Williams, totaling up to $45,000.

Williams’ congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA)

Rep. Rob Wittman violated the STOCK Act in August and September with late disclosures. Pete Marovich/Getty Images

Wittman’s Sept. 30 disclosure reported 10 stock transactions, nine of which were past the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline. The late transactions totaled up to $135,000 and were investments in various companies including semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom, capital markets company S&P Global and transportation company Union Pacific, to name a few.

The transactions were reported between two weeks and nearly four months late.

In recent weeks, Wittman also reported four late transactions totaling between $4,004 and $60,000 on an Aug. 13 federal financial disclosure, Raw Story reported.

Wittman’s oldest stock transaction on the report was made on Feb. 27, 2022, with the sale of Piedmont Office Realty Trust stock. Between July 2022 and December 2022, Wittman purchased stock in Accenture, Mastercard and TJX Companies. All transactions were in the $1,001 to $15,000 range.

His congressional office did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment for either story.

Congressional candidate violations

Tom Barrett, a Republican congressional candidate in one of the nation's most competitive 2024 Michigan House races, publicly disclosed his personal finances, as required by federal law — but only after a Raw Story investigation revealed he had failed to do so.

Barrett filed his candidate financial disclosure report on Nov. 2, a day after Raw Story reported he was nearly three months late in filing his disclosure.

Per the House Ethics guidelines and the Ethics in Government Act, Barrett needed to file his financial disclosure 30 days after July 10 after meeting candidacy and fundraising requirements meaning his disclosure was due Aug. 9.

Barrett isn’t the first high-profile congressional candidate to fail to file his financial disclosure report on time.

J.R. Majewski — a 2022 Republican congressional candidate in an highly competitive Ohio district and QAnon conspiracy theory promoter — disclosed two-and-a-half years worth of his personal financial activity only after Insider reported he was violating the same federal law as Barrett.

The same happened last year with Trump-backed congressional candidate Joe Kent, a Republican running for Congress in Washington state, who filed his financial disclosures months late after the violation was revealed by Insider.

Potential conflicts of interest

The STOCK Act prohibits "the use of nonpublic information for private profit."

The law says, "The Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate and the Committee on Ethics of the House of Representatives shall issue interpretive guidance of the relevant rules of each chamber, including rules on conflicts of interest and gifts, clarifying that a Member of Congress and an employee of Congress may not use nonpublic information derived from such person's position as a Member of Congress or employee of Congress or gained from the performance of such person's official responsibilities as a means for making a private profit."

Raw Story has identified a handful of members of congressional armed services committees who have personally invested in the stock of major U.S. defense contractors. Among them:

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

Marjorie Taylor GreeneRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks to members of the press at the U.S. Capitol on May 8, after her peers voted overwhelmingly to table her motion to vacate Speaker Mike Johnson (R-GA). (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Greene reported on May 2 that she purchased up to $15,000 of stock in Qualcomm, a federal defense contractor while serving on the Homeland Security Committee and the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.

She also invested up to $15,000 in technology giant Microsoft while serving on on the Government Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Government Innovation, along with purchasing in June up to $15,000 in cybersecurity technology company, CrowdStrike Holdings.

The Department of Defense granted CrowdStrike authorization to the highest level of controlled unclassified information in May 2023. CrowdStrike works with the Department of Defense, Defense Industrial Base companies and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, according to a May 31, 2023 company press release.

Greene's congressional office did not respond to Raw Story's requests for comment.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)

Then-Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) greets Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg before he testifies in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in 2018. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Mullin purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 in stock in Raytheon on Sept. 13, according to October congressional personal financial disclosure filings reviewed by Raw Story. Raytheon was awarded more than $1.7 billion in contracts in September, according to a Raw Story analysis of contract announcements from the Department of Defense.

“Sen. Mullin follows the law as well as Senate Ethics rules,” said a spokeswoman for Mullin, who declined to be named.

Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA)

Rep. William Keating (D-MA) delivers his opening statement during a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee during a hearing on Capitol Hill on September 21, 2022, in Washington, DC. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Keating, another congressional armed services committee member, disclosed purchasing between $15,001 and $50,000 worth of Boeing Co. corporate notes, according to a U.S. House financial document filed Sept. 28 and reviewed by Raw Story.

Then, on Feb. 8, Keating sold a Boeing corporate note valued at between $15,001 and $50,000, and on Feb. 28, sold Boeing stock shares valued at between $1,001 and $15,000, according to a federal disclosure. The trades came at a time when Boeing, a defense contractor, faces federal scrutiny over its aircraft safety protocols and manufacturing quality.

The Boeing trades “part of an IRA retirement account that is third-party managed, and investment decisions are made by that third party,” Keating spokesperson Chris Matthews told Raw Story in an email. “The positions of the investment firm do not influence the congressman's policy positions.”

Keating’s office declined to name who makes trades on the congressman’s behalf.

“Unfortunately, we've been advised not to disclose non-public information about the Congressman's personal accounts due to concerns surrounding cyber-security targeting,” Matthews said.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) appears during a hearing to examine United States Special Operations Command and United States Cyber Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2022 and the Future Years Defense Program, on Capitol Hill on March 25, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images

Tuberville in September purchased up to $250,000 worth of stock in telecommunications technology company Qualcomm Inc., a federal defense contractor, while serving on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and actively blocking hundreds of military nominations and promotions, Raw Story reported.

Qualcomm and its subsidiaries have been the recipient of several dozen defense and homeland security contracts during the past two decades, according to federal contracting records reviewed by Raw Story.

Tuberville spokesman Steven Stafford did not reply to a question about whether it's a conflict of interest for Tuberville to invest in defense contractor stocks while serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

He also did not respond to a question about whether Tuberville, in principle, supports or opposes any of the several bills introduced this year that would either ban, or limit, members of Congress and their spouses from personally trading stocks. Tuberville has previously described the idea as "ridiculous".

"Sen. Tuberville has long had financial advisers who actively manage his portfolio without his day-to-day involvement," Stafford wrote in an email to Raw Story. Asked to name the financial advisers, he did not respond.

Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY)

Williams appeared to be the most tardy in reporting the partial sale of stock in pharmaceutical company, Visant Medical, nearly 16 months late, according to his July 2 financial disclosure. The transaction, valued between $1,001 and $15,000, was described on the report as a “shareholder distribution as a result of Visant Medical merger with Amring Pharmaceuticals.”

However, Taylor Weyeneth, Williams’ chief of staff, said the filing had an error. The partial stock sale from Feb. 1, 2023, was actually from Feb 1, 2024, which has since been amended after the publication of Raw Story's investigation.

Williams' filing would still be four months past the disclosure deadline.

"As required by law, the congressman submitted all relevant information immediately after he was notified. This wasn’t a sale, purchase, or exchange, but was a distribution due to the merger of a company. With the newest disbursement, we were made aware of a previous disbursement and made sure to file within days of this notification," Weyeneth told Raw Story.

Gray areas in the STOCK Act

The number of STOCK Act violators could be even higher, but the requirements of the law aren’t always clear with how it is currently written.

The House Committee on Ethics and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, meanwhile, have been publicly silent about its rules governing STOCK Act violations or recent violations themselves.

When reached by Raw Story, Tom Rust, staff director and chief counsel for the House Committee on Ethics, said “no comment.”

Roll Call reported in September that Republican Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who ran for president this year, disclosed nearly a dozen stocks on his 2022 financial disclosure that he failed to report in 2021.

Scott reported tens of thousands of dollars in stock for companies such as Apple, Boeing and Coca-Cola, when in the past he routinely reported only two or three securities. Scott did not file transaction reports when he bought the shares, Roll Call reported.

“He takes his compliance obligation seriously, and he is fully compliant with all reporting requirements,” a Scott campaign spokesperson said to Roll Call.

In June, two members of Congress appeared to be more than a year late in reporting spinoffs and exchanges of their stocks, based on a plain reading of the STOCK Act’s text.

But spokespeople for both of the lawmakers insisted their bosses were in compliance with STOCK Act rules.

Democratic Whip Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) reported on June 8 that she received up to $30,000 in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock in exchange for AT&T Inc. stock as a result of a spinoff in April 2022.

The law states that an amendment to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires congressional members and staff "to file reports within 30 to 45 days after receiving notice of a purchase, sale or exchange which exceeds $1,000 in stocks, bonds, commodities futures, and other forms of securities and subject to any waivers and exclusions.”

“This was an automatic spinoff that applied to all AT&T stockholders as a result of the Warner Brothers Discovery merger,” said Kathryn Alexander, a spokesperson for Clark, who violated the STOCK Act during 2021 in a separate matter and has since stopped actively trading stocks.

“It was not initiated by the congresswoman, her spouse or financial adviser, and was unknown to them at the time it occurred,” Alexander continued. “Congresswoman Clark supports strengthening financial disclosure requirements for members of Congress during their tenure.”

Clark has faced other financial issues in recent times, having experienced a theft of $5,000 from her campaign committee.

Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) filed a financial disclosure report on June 9, disclosing four stock purchases from 2022 valued between $18,004 and $95,000, two of which were corporate spinoffs. One of the trades was disclosed more than a year after a federal deadline, and the other three were between nine to 10 months late.

Babin serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology — along with related subcommittees. Babin’s investments include FTAI Infrastructure, a company that primarily works in the energy, intermodal transport and rail sectors; BHP Group, an Australian mining and petroleum company; and Woodside Energy Group, an Australian petroleum exploration and production company.

Sarah Reese, a spokesperson for Babin, told Raw Story: “Per the House Committee on Ethics: ‘The congressman has submitted his financial disclosure statement and corresponding [periodic transaction reports] and is currently compliant with all financial disclosure reporting requirements.’”

Reese did not confirm who from the Ethics Committee made the statement and when.

If the Ethics Committee indeed told Babin that he was correct in reporting the spinoffs when he asked about his latest report, presumably Clark should’ve disclosed her spinoffs as well, and they would both be late in disclosing them, experts told Raw Story.

Confusion abounds

Herein lies the confusion.

A January memo from the House Committee on Ethics to all House representatives, employees and officers made it clear that stock exchanges must be reported according to the STOCK Act’s disclosure requirements.

But buried on page 40 of the Committee's 2023 guide is this statement: “Exchange transactions are somewhat rare and refer only to a limited set of circumstances that involves the exchange of stock certificates following the purchase of one company by another, a merger of two companies, or a spinoff of one company from another. Exchanges are only reportable when the original stock owned is surrendered for new stock. Please consult with Committee staff for further guidance.”

This is not the first time that the House Committee on Ethics has supposedly offered conflicting guidance.

Early in June, Raw Story reported that Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), was seemingly late in reporting 28 financial transactions totaling up to $420,000 — an ostensible violation of the STOCK Act.

But his congressional office said conflicting guidance from the House Committee on Ethics caused Larsen to not report until May 26 trades he made as far back as 2020.

“In 2020, while setting up a managed IRA account to diversify his portfolio, Rep. Larsen received initial guidance from the House Ethics Committee that he did not need to file periodic transaction reports because he did not control selection or trade of any security in the new portfolio,” Joe Tutino, a spokesperson for Larsen, told Raw Story in a statement.

“In 2022, upon reviewing Rep. Larsen’s draft financial disclosure, Committee staff informed him of updated guidance that required the representative to file a periodic transaction report to come into compliance with the STOCK Act. He worked with Committee staff to file the required periodic transaction report,” Tutino continued.

Another gray area in June: Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) filed a disclosure report noting two sales of vested Microsoft shares totaling between $1.25 million and $5.5 million. She reported them between two to eight months past the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline.

However, DelBene previously disclosed her family's significant investments in Microsoft stock on her annual disclosures and a 2022 periodic transaction report. The reports show that her husband, Kurt DelBene, created a forward contract in 2021 for stock he received as a senior Microsoft executive in order to "avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest" as he was confirmed to the position of assistant secretary for information and technology in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the contract said.

Despite previously disclosing the forward contract — defined by Investopedia as "a customized contract between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a specified price on a future date" — DelBene was told by the House Committee on Ethics that she should still disclose the stock sales as they are executed as a part of the contract, her staff said.

"In March 2022, the DelBenes disclosed a forward contract, which put in place a self-executing stock sale schedule at a set price related to compensation from Mr. DelBene’s previous employment," said Nick Martin, spokesperson for the congresswoman. "This forward contract was drafted by ethics experts and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The entirety of the contract was disclosed over a year ago, and it has not been altered since. The DelBenes cannot adjust or initiate any actions related to the forward contract. These transactions fall under the original forward contract but are being reported separately in the interest of transparency after consulting with the House Ethics Committee and the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

DelBene, who leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as chairperson this election cycle, supports in principle the banning of members of Congress from trading individual stocks and is a co-sponsor of the TRUST in Congress Act.

Editor’s note: This article was first published on Oct. 6, 2023, and since updated to reflect additional members of Congress who have violated federal financial disclosure laws and rules.

For customer support contact support@rawstory.com. Report typos and corrections to corrections@rawstory.com.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) won a notable concession Tuesday from FBI Director Kash Patel, who committed during a Senate hearing to urge President Donald Trump to rein in his divisive rhetoric after recent incidents of political violence.

Klobuchar’s plea came in the wake of the killing of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, an incident that was immediately followed by explosive rhetoric from Trump who blamed the killing on the “radical left.” Trump and his allies have since vowed to crackdown on progressive groups in response.

Klobuchar, however, pushed back on Trump’s claims that “leftist” organizations were the primary instigators of political violence.

“It is not just the 'radicals on the left' – a quote from the president – [that] are the problem, or the 'destructive movement of left-wing extremism' that Vice President [JD] Vance said,” Klobuchar commented, speaking at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

“I don't want to go left-right with this, but [the] Cato Institute published a study just last week that found terrorists from the right were responsible for six times more deaths than people from the left.”

That study, published by the D.C.-based libertarian think tank, found that terrorist attacks propagated by “right-wingers” accounted for 11% of murders since 1975, whereas “left-wing terrorists” were responsible for 2%.

“I actually don't want to go tit for tat on this, but what I am asking for is that this rhetoric of blaming one side or the other stop, if you could convey that to the president, and that we actually work on things that are solutions,” Klobuchar said. “So could you commit to me Director Patel that you will do that?”

“Absolutely, senator,” Patel answered.

Tuesday’s hearing is just the first of two during which Patel is scheduled to testify before congressional committees, with the second scheduled for Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee.

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Matthew Childress arrived at Matt’s El Rancho, an Austin restaurant, on Sept. 4 with mixed feelings of anticipation and grief. He greeted the other parents with hugs.

This group had largely been strangers two months earlier, before they learned that their children at Camp Mystic were missing after a massive flash flood, before many waited all night for answers about whether search crews had found any kids alive, before parents had to do the unimaginable and identify their child’s body.

Now, in their torturous sadness, they shared a bond. Over the past several weeks, these parents had pushed their ideas for summer camp reforms through the state Legislature with remarkable speed.

The moms and dads were gathering in Austin from Beaumont, Dallas, Bellville and other Texas cities. One family came from Alabama. The next day, they expected the Texas governor to sign the bills that they championed.

The changes would require kids’ camps to move overnight cabins out of floodplains, to follow weather warnings with radios and install alert systems, and to train staff on emergency plans including where to move children to higher ground if needed.

The parents believe any one of these steps would have kept their own children alive during the July 4 flood, which claimed 138 lives along the Guadalupe River, including 25 Camp Mystic campers, two counselors and the camp’s director. One camper remains missing.

Childress, a consulting executive, had driven from Houston to Austin with his wife, Wendie, an attorney. He was one of a pair of dads who helped organize the group for political action. He wanted to see something positive come from the tragedy.

Chloe Childress was one of the two counselors who died. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick hailed her and counselor Katherine Ferruzzo as heroes for trying to save the 8- and 9-year-old girls in their cabin instead of saving themselves.

Matthew Childress, 50, had always seen his daughter as his hero — a smart, funny girl who put her whole being into pursuing what she wanted, like when she launched her own online slime-selling business in elementary school. She was her parents’ energetic child, always running around and always sweaty. She was their music-loving Taylor Swift fan who wrote her own songs.

She grew up surrounded by adoring friends as they moved toward adulthood. She ordered Amazon decorations for their parties. She rapped Nicki Minaj lines. She made her friends wear “Can’t wait to gamble today” t-shirts at a Bahamas casino.

Now, as he ate fajitas and chatted with the other parents in the restaurant, Matthew Childress felt like he was nearing the end of a sprint of activity. The overflowing funeral for Chloe. Getting involved in the camp legislation and coordinating with the other parents and lobbyists to meet with officials and testify in support of the new laws at the Capitol.

Keeping so busy had helped Childress avoid the dark places in his mind. He didn’t know what he would do when the camp reform bills finally became law and he had to face his grief head-on.

“If I can solve this problem, it’s almost like I can bring her back,” he said. “If I can solve it, I’ll save her.”

A picture of Chloe Childress, left, and her father, right, photographed at the Childressí home on September 11, 2025, in Houston, Texas. Chloe was a camp counselor at Camp Mystic and passed away in the July 4 Kerr County floods along with a fellow co-counselor and 25 others at the camp. In the wake of the tragedy, Matthew and Wendie Childress, Chloeís parents, have advocated for tighter camp safety regulations, culminating in a recent bill signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, ìHeaven's 27 Camp Safety Act,î in honor of the 27 lives lost. A picture of Chloe Childress, left, and her father, right, photographed at the Childress’ home on Sept. 11, 2025, in Houston. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas TribuneThis was Chloe’s first year to be a counselor at Camp Mystic. She passed away along with a fellow counselor and 25 campers. This was Chloe’s first year to be a counselor at Camp Mystic. She passed away along with a fellow counselor and 25 campers. Credit: Courtesy of Matthew Childress

To Wendie Childress, every day had felt like her worst nightmare, something to survive hour-by-hour. Her daughter had been her best friend, and Chloe’s absence felt like an insurmountable void. Chloe had been moving into a new phase of life, graduating from high school, taking a trip to Europe, getting ready for college.

“And then,” her mom said, “it was just like, fade to black.”

When he’d gone to identify Chloe’s body, Matthew Childress hoped that she had died quickly. When he saw her in a makeshift morgue on July 5, he saw wounds on her face.

He found he couldn’t leave her without doing what he had done compulsively since she was a baby. He kissed her 17 times. It was an arbitrary number, a code between them.

Goodnight. I love you.

* * *

Matthew and Wendie Childress had planned to celebrate July 4 by sharing a meal and drinks with friends at their home in Houston, then going to see fireworks at a country club. Their 15-year-old son was away at a friend’s family ranch. Chloe was at Camp Mystic, where she’d spent every July for 10 years.

The all-female camp represented tradition for women in the Childress family. Matthew Childress’ mother and sister had been campers there. When they dropped 8-year-old Chloe off at camp for the first time, one of his nieces, also a camper, was there to hold her hand.

Chloe made friends as she returned year after year. Five would speak at her funeral, dressed all in white, like they had for camp prayer services. They would tell stories about Chloe’s penchant for dropping into the splits, her stubborn conviction that she was right even when she was wrong and her dorky way of bringing up random facts.

They would talk about how she always laughed, even when she chipped her tooth at her own party to celebrate her high school graduation from the private Kinkaid School. They would remember how she would rush over in her Jeep to shop for makeup. They would recount how she kept riding Lime scooters and falling off of them.

Their friend lived fully.

This year was Chloe’s first summer as a Mystic counselor. She’d been accepted to her dream school, the University of Texas at Austin, the campus where her parents had met during their freshman years. She’d packed her turquoise trunk. She grabbed her lovey blankets with teddy bear heads she’d had her whole life. She'd covered a small bulletin board with photos using gold pushpins, then forgot to take it — so her mom had hurriedly brought it to her before she and other Houston-based counselors drove to camp.

Her mom had followed Chloe’s June 27 trip to Kerr County through the GPS locator on her phone until she arrived, safe.

A wreath with Chloe Childress’ initials hangs on the front door of the Childress’ home in Houston, Texas, on September 11, 2025. Chloe was a camp counselor at Camp Mystic and passed away in the July 4 Kerr County floods along with a fellow co-counselor and 25 others at the camp. In the wake of the tragedy, Matthew and Wendie Childress, Chloe’s parents, have advocated for tighter camp safety regulations, culminating in a recent bill signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, “Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act,” in honor of the 27 lives lost. A ribbon with Chloe Childress’ initials hangs on the front door wreath at the Childress’ home in Houston. Camp Mystic represented a tradition for women in the Childress family. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune

On July 4, Wendie Childress started getting texts from other parents. The Guadalupe River had flooded early that morning. As they realized the severity of the storm, the Childresses threw together overnight bags and started the five-hour drive to Kerr County. Chloe might need a ride home, they figured.

They didn’t yet know the extent of the devastation along the Guadalupe: Ten inches of rain had fallen on the south fork of the river in three hours. The river’s main channel rose more than 20 feet, sweeping away trees, houses and vehicles. Camp Mystic was among the first places in the path of destruction.

The Kerr County judge who is supposed to be in charge of emergency response was out of town and asleep. The county emergency management coordinator was home sick and asleep. The county sheriff got involved only after dire calls for help began coming in. The local river authority had last year declined to move forward with pursuing state funding to build a flood warning system.

Before the Childresses reached San Antonio, a camp representative called to say they couldn’t find Chloe.

Matthew Childress reminded himself that his daughter was strong. She was a fighter. The machine, he called her.

“She was a force …. beyond belief,” he would later say. “Everything she faced, she figured out how to conquer.”

Surely, she was in a tree, waiting for rescue. Surely, a camp that operated next to a flood-prone river for 99 years had staff who knew how to deal with floods.

* * *

They arrived at Ingram Elementary School, the designated reunification center, joining other distressed Camp Mystic parents. Strangers brought snacks and drinks.

Someone started to call out the names of girls who were ready to go home. The first list was short, Childress recalled, and didn’t include Chloe’s name.

Childress gripped his sister-in-law’s arm. Tears fell. It hit him: “This is real,” he said. “I might not see my daughter again.”

Amid the wails and cries of parents, Blake Bonner, 39, waited to learn what happened to his 9-year-old daughter Lila.

Bonner, who lives in Dallas and works in finance, was in Austin with family for the July 4 weekend when he heard about the flood. Lila was at Camp Mystic for the first time, following in her mom’s footsteps. They wanted her to have the same experience of being outside, making friends and developing her faith.

Lila had never spent that long away from home before they dropped her off to a smiling, excited Chloe Childress and Katherine Ferruzzo, who were in charge of the cabin called Bubble Inn.

Now, Bonner kept cautiously showing people Lila’s photo, asking if anyone knew what happened to his empathetic, animal-loving older child who had dreamed of starting her own animal rescue one day.

“She was a perfect, just-turned-9-year-old girl that had a lot of life in front of her,” he said.

The parents heard so many rumors as they waited. They got reports that their kids were going to a hospital. That they were being rescued from trees. That they were stranded on an island in the river.

Bonner called it a pingpong of hope and defeat. He couldn’t help but get his hopes up as girls’ names continued to be read aloud.

Bonner’s wife, still in Austin, got the call about identifying Lila’s body. She called her husband, hysterical. “I knew immediately,” he said.

Later, it would occur to him that they were lucky in some terrible way because they didn’t have to keep waiting for someone to tell them she had died in the flood.

Childress kept his vigil for hours that afternoon and well into the night, not knowing what to do, awkwardly hugging people who left with their kids. He and other parents of the missing — parents he would come to know well — eventually moved to wait in a new location, Trinity Baptist Church in Kerrville.

Another Christian organization with dorm-like rooms took Childress and his wife in for the night. He lay down and stared at the ceiling, knowing that search teams with infrared cameras planned to keep scanning the river in the dark.

The next day, the waiting parents watched news conferences and had limited chances to ask officials questions. They chit-chatted nervously, Childress recalled, until someone would just break down.

“It was just absolute torture,” he said.

On the evening of July 5, the parents learned search crews that day hadn’t found anyone alive.

Childress dreaded his phone ringing because he knew it might mean bad news.

When he got the call from a Kerr County number, he fell to his knees.

A picture of Chloe Childress at a memorial wall for the July 4 flood victims in Kerrville, Texas on July 11, 2025. Childress was a camp counselor and one of 27 people who passed away from Camp Mystic due to the devastating floods. A photo of Chloe Childress at a memorial wall for the July 4 flood victims in Kerrville on July 11, 2025. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune

* * *

Back in Houston, Childress spent 20 minutes in the car, unwilling to face his house without his firstborn child. Once inside, he made himself do what he dreaded most: He went into his daughter’s room. He curled up on her bed.

Chloe’s bulletin board showed a kaleidoscope of her life. Photos and memorabilia from camp made up one part of it. He vowed to leave her door open. Later, someone would find Chloe’s camp bulletin board and return it to the Childress family.

On her bedroom vanity was a post-it note on which was scrawled “Isaiah 43:2”. They would include the verse in her funeral pamphlet: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.”

Gov. Greg Abbott called legislators back to Austin on July 21 for a special legislative session following the 5-month regular session, and Childress knew they were holding hearings on the floods. But the process hadn’t gotten far, with Republicans trying to pass new congressional district maps to favor the GOP and Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state to stall that legislation.

A friend sent the name of a lobbyist to Childress, who saw an opportunity to take action.

Childress connected with Bonner, who’d been also stuck in a cycle of grief and shock.

Bonner couldn’t stop asking why Lila had died. He leaned into his faith; he wanted to see his daughter in heaven again. He concluded that her death didn’t come from some unavoidable act of God. It followed a series of very human errors. (Camp Mystic declined a request for an interview for this story.)

Bonner had been in touch with lobbyists too. A small, pro-bono lobbying team with people from various firms started to form.

“You can’t really legislate what God does,” Bonner figured. “But you can absolutely put in the safeguards to ensure that that [human] free will piece is appropriately balanced.”

Childress emailed the families of the 26 other girls who died — Heaven’s 27, they called them. With the lobbyists’ guidance, the families narrowed their goals. They aimed to present a positive, united front. They considered their recommendations to be in support of saving youth camps. After all, who would send their kids to a camp now if they didn’t know if their kids would be okay?

The lobbyists realized this was different than any work they had done, said Kelly Barnes, who works with HillCo Partners and who attended the same college as Bonner. This was a matter of life and death, and it could have been them in the parents’ shoes.

The group would have a limited window to strike, with no room for error, if the governor called a second 30-day special session. They had to focus.

“It grabbed us in a way we’d never felt before,” Barnes said.

On Aug. 14, a majority of the families met with “the big three”: Abbott, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. The parents took turns talking about their daughters. Barnes said it was the most incredible, raw, emotional advocacy he had seen in his career. The politicians recognized the gravity of the moment, listened with compassion and vowed to act.

The governor told the parents he would be calling a second special session, and that this time he would make camp safety the top priority. Childress said when he heard that, he lost his composure.

“I wasn’t quite expecting that,” he said. That was the same day that he’d been planning to move Chloe into her college dorm.

Legislators introduced new bills — House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 — with a focus on camps. More meetings followed. When a Senate committee held a hearing on its bill on Aug. 20, the Camp Mystic parents again showed up to Austin to share their stories.

The Bonners talked about Lila’s gentleness, and how she’d been voted best manners at her camp dining table. Rescuers found Lila’s body 5.6 miles away from the camp, her mother told the lawmakers.

Childress, who spoke for his family while his wife stayed home with their son, who was starting his sophomore year of high school, told legislators he tried not to think about the fear that the girls felt as they scrambled for their lives, after waiting in their cabins as instructed.

His daughter was fun, spontaneous and a troublemaker, he told them. She was also smart, studious and driven.

“She did what I told her,” Childress testified. He wore his daughter’s Fitbit on his wrist. “She followed directions, the authorities, and that is what killed her.”

The rules had to change.

On Aug. 21, the House passed its bill while the parents watched. They wanted to see this all the way through. Bonner, among the team and the parents in the gallery upstairs, studied the lobbyists’ body language for any sign of how he should feel.

Blake Bonner, father of Lila Bonner, wipes his eyes during a panel of Camp Mystic parents testifying before the Senate Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding at the Texas Capitol on Aug. 20, 2025. Blake Bonner, father of Lila Bonner, wipes his eyes as Camp Mystic parents testify before the Senate Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding at the Texas Capitol on Aug. 20, 2025. Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune

Later that night, the Senate passed its bill. The members couldn’t unhear the parent’s stories, Republican Sen. Lois Kolkhorst from Brenham said.

“In your grief, you have achieved remarkable advocacy,” said Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, an Austin Democrat.

The bills had just a few more steps to go.

* * *

On Sept. 5, Matthew and Wendie Childress filed onto rows of steps in front of the governor’s mansion, sweating in the heat. They stared ahead stoically as Abbott recounted how the parents pleaded for camp safety.

Childress nodded as Abbott ticked off what the bills would do. Installing alert systems. Training staff on evacuation routes. Requiring emergency plans. Requiring cabins to be out of floodplains.

“Every child who goes to camp should come home to their families,” Abbott said to the television cameras and assembled journalists.

Abbott wrote his name slowly, using dozens of Sharpies to sign small pieces of his name, so the parents could receive Sharpies used to sign the bills. He snapped the lids on and off. Camera shutters clicked. Hands gripped each other. Tears fell.

Wendie Childress stood behind her husband and held his shoulder as the lieutenant governor again praised Chloe and the other counselor, as he had done on the Senate floor. Matthew Childress reached across his chest to grab his wife’s hand.

Patrick suggested hanging a portrait of Chloe and Katherine, her fellow counselor, in the House and Senate chambers. Childress cocked his head, unsure how to process that information.

Families of the Camp Mystic flood victims known as the “Heaven’s 27,” file behind Gov. Greg Abbott as he speaks about the Fourth of July floods and the new bills at the Governor’s Mansion on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. The bills, passed during the second special session of the 89th Texas Legislature, aim to enhance camp safety and protect Texans. Matthew Childress stands among families of the Camp Mystic flood victims behind Gov. Greg Abbott during a bill signing event at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin. Credit: Manoo Sirivelu/The Texas TribuneMatthew Childress, the father of one of the Camp Mystic flood victims, Chloe Childress, hugs Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at the Governor’s Mansion on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, after the ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1 while his wife Wife Wendie Childress speaks to Gov. Greg Abbott. The bills were passed during the second special session of the 89th Texas Legislature, enhancing camp safety and protecting Texans. Matthew Childress hugs Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who hailed Chloe and fellow counselor Katherine Ferruzzo as heroes for trying to save the girls in their cabin, while Wendie Childress reaches to shake hands with Gov. Greg Abbott. Credit: Manoo Sirivelu/The Texas Tribune

After 21 minutes, it was over. Childress exhaled.

He and Bonner had accomplished what they sought to do. They had honored their daughters. They had done what they felt was right and they had done their best.

But they still couldn’t change the horrible truth that their daughters weren’t coming back.

“It’s not some overwhelming joyous thing,” Bonner said, “because our girls are still dead.”

Chloe wouldn’t start her college classes. She wouldn’t go to medical school. She wouldn’t get married or have kids. Matthew Childress felt crushed by the weight of all the memories with his daughter that he would not get to have, and that “the world doesn’t get to be exposed to how amazing she was.”

They would have to keep moving without Chloe. They would have to find their ways to keep living and crying and remembering and advocating and loving.

“It has to be for something,” Childress said.

Disclosure: HillCo Partners, LLC and the University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Pictures of Chloe Childress, along with sharpies used during the flood bill signing, in a cubby located in the closet of her father, Matthew, where he keeps mementos of her and his son, photographed at their home in Houston, Texas, on September 11, 2025. Photos of Chloe Childress, along with Sharpies used during Gov. Greg Abbott’s flood bill signing event, in a cubby in Matthew’s closet. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune
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By Lee Bebout, Professor of English, Arizona State University.

Shortly following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, many politicians and pundits were quick to highlight the importance of civil discourse.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called for an “off-ramp” to political hostilities, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a statement condemning political violence. He lauded Kirk’s “commitment to debate,” adding, “The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work: engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse.” Political commentator Ezra Klein wrote, “You can dislike much of what Kirk believed and the following statement is still true: Kirk was practicing politics in exactly the right way.”

With so many Americans consuming political content via siloed social media feeds and awash in algorithms that stoke outrage, these ideals may seem quaint, if not impossible.

Clearly, murder is a no-go. But what does it mean to practice politics “the right way?” How can people engage “across ideology” in a “spirited” way?

Well, one way to not practice politics the right way is to limit the other side from having a voice of authority. Since 2016, the organization Kirk co-founded, Turning Point USA, has hosted the Professor Watchlist. The online database generated harassment campaigns against professors, leading to calls for firings, hate mail and death threats. To be sure, the left has not been without its own excesses of harassment in recent years.

Kirk was also known for going to college campuses and speaking to students: entering the lion’s den and affably challenging audiences to “change my mind.”

To me, the impulse to shut down the other side, combined with the “change my mind approach” to debate, has only exacerbated political polarization and entrenchment. Instead, I propose a few different ways of thinking about conversations with people whose views differ from your own.

The fantasy of swiftly changing minds

In my forthcoming book, Rules for Reactionaries: How to Maintain Inequality and Stop Social Justice, I explore the language strategies used to advance white supremacy and anti-feminism across U.S. politics and culture.

Deliberative democracy is the idea that decision-making and governance are arrived at through thoughtful, reasoned and respectful dialogue. This may take the shape of debates in Congress or robust questioning in town halls. But deliberative democracy also shapes the way all neighbors or citizens treat each other, whether on the street or at the dinner table.

I contend that a big stumbling block that prevents the U.S. from tackling its biggest problems is how Americans conceptualize deliberative democracy: There’s a fantasy that people’s minds can be easily changed, if only they’re given certain information or hear certain arguments.

In the 1990s, this was epitomized through former President Bill Clinton’s Initiative on Race, a program that he framed as a vehicle for social and political transformation. Clinton believed that an advisory board of experts could foster a meaningful national dialogue and produce necessary healing.

In response, conservative political figures objected both to the need for a conversation in the first place and to the makeup of the committee leading it.

By the time Clinton’s second term ended, the initiative quietly disappeared, only to be mentioned in passing in Clinton’s memoir. Yet with each subsequent racial flash point, from the arrest of Henry Louis Gates in 2009 to the murder of George Floyd, calls resurfaced for the national conversation. But race remains a politically and culturally salient issue.

Similarly, many Americans view friends, relatives and colleagues as targets for conversion. Because of the nature of my research, I often get a version of this question from my students: “How do you change someone’s mind if they say they’re a socialist?” Or they may frame it as, “I’ve got Thanksgiving with my family coming up, and my Uncle Johnny is so transphobic. How do I convince him to support trans rights?”

Cultural theorist Lauren Berlant would describe these encounters as moments of cruel optimism. There’s the belief that what you’re about to do is good and worthy. But time and again, you’re met with feelings of futility and frustration.

When debating politics, many people crave a chance to engage with someone they disagree with. There’s the hope of changing hearts and minds. But few minds — if any — change that quickly, and approaching these conversations as small windows of opportunity ends up being their downfall.

Opening minds instead of changing them

There are more fruitful approaches to conversation than merely trying to best someone in an argument by deploying buzzwords or “gotcha!” moments.

Rather than trying to immediately change someone’s mind, what if you entered a conversation with the goal of simply planting seeds? This approach transforms the dialogue from an attempted conversion into a legitimate conversation, wherein you’re merely offering your partner something to consider after the fact.

Another strategy involves remembering that conversations often have multiple audiences.

Consider the Thanksgiving dinner with Uncle Johnny. What if, instead of focusing on trying to convert him, the speaker recognized that there were other listeners at the table? Perhaps they could rethink their encounter not as converting an opponent, but as modeling to relatives how to have a conversation about one’s values with a loved one whom they vehemently disagree with. Or perhaps the speaker could recognize that a cousin at the table may be closeted, and take it upon themselves to model how to push back against transphobia.

In both cases, the conversion of Uncle Johnny ceases to be the objective. Civic dialogue and persuasion remain.

Change is slow but never futile

If the U.S. is going to heal its civic life through dialogue, I think it will require Americans to not just speak with those they disagree with, but to listen to them as well.

Krista Ratcliffe, a scholar of rhetoric at Arizona State University, has written about her concept of “rhetorical listening.” Listeners, she argues, must not simply be attuned to the words a speakers says, but also to the life experiences and ideologies that shape those words.

Rhetorical listening means avoiding the urge to one-up the opponent or convert the unwashed masses. Instead, you’re entering into dialogue from a position of curiosity, with a willingness to learn and grow.

Many people believe that the U.S. is at an inflection point. Will families and friendships continue to be torn apart? Will greater political polarization lead to more violence? Often it feels hopeless.

Like Sisyphus, many Americans probably feel like they continue to push a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll down the other side. The error would be for Americans to be surprised when the boulder rolls back down — shocked that there was no progress and that everyone has to start over again.

While the Sisyphean task of deliberative democracy requires that citizens push the boulder day in and day out, they should also recognize that as they push, the weight of the boulder as it’s collectively pushed will gradually and imperceptibly alter the terrain.

Moreover, as the French philosopher Albert Camus once wrote, it’s important to “imagine Sisyphus happy” — to continue to seize what joy can be had as this hard work plods along.

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