A freshman Republican congressman from Texas has failed to properly disclose millions of dollars in stock trades this year in what appears to be a violation of federal law.
Business Insider reports that Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) took months to disclose 90 separate stock transactions that the publication estimates are worth between $7.8 million and $17.5 million.
"By federal law, members of Congress have 30 days from when they become aware of a stock trade to formally disclose it in a certified report to the clerk of the House of Representatives," Business Insider notes. "His untimely reporting could prompt an ethics investigation or fine."
Fallon spokesman Luke Ball admitted to Business Insider that the congressman failed to disclose his stock transactions in a timely fashion, but he chalked it up to Fallon's unfamiliarity with disclosure rules, despite the fact that Fallon underwent congressional ethics training that went over those rules.
"As a freshman member, Congressman Fallon was unfamiliar with how frequently members of Congress are required to file financial disclosures, having served in other public offices where the requirements are different," Ball said. "Upon learning of the requirement, he immediately filed a disclosure with the appropriate entities. That disclosure is available for the public to review. Congressman Fallon looks forward to remaining in compliance with future filings."
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) says there's nothing the 535 elected officials in the House and Senate can do to reduce gun violence and gun deaths.
"We're not gonna fix it," Congressman Burchett said on the steps of the Capitol.
"I don't see any role that we could do other than mess things up, honestly," he said in response to Monday's school mass shooting in Nashville, where three nine-year olds and three adults were shot to death by a shooter with two AR-15 style assault rifles and a handgun.
Instead of Congress enacting stricter gun laws, background checks, and a ban on assault weapons, Congressman Burchett said, "you've got to change people's hearts," as he called for a Christian revival.
"As a Christian, we talk about the church. I've said this many times, I think we really need a revival in this country."
Monday's shooting at the Covenant Presbyterian Elementary School was the 130th mass shooting this year in America, bringing the death toll from all gun violence across all causes to 9989, including 403 children 17 or younger, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Congressman Burchett is a member of the far-right Republican Study Committee, which has strong ties to the National Rifle Association (NRA).
On Monday, Burchett released a statement saying, "Kelly and I are praying for everyone at The Covenant School, especially the families of the shooting victims. No one should have to go through that kind of horrific event or lose a loved one like that. I'm so thankful to those brave folks who brought down the shooter and took care of the students and their families."
Earlier this month Rep. Burchett was one of 26 House Republicans on the Oversight Committee who refused to sign a simple two-sentence statement denouncing white supremacy.
Former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro attempted to stall a judge's order last week to hand over roughly 200 to 250 documents that are rightfully the property of the National Archives.
But Senior U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has just rejected his stall tactic by ruling he must comply with the Presidential Records Act, reports POLITICO's Kyle Cheney.
In particular, the judge smacked down claims made by Navarro that the case against him was supposedly unprecedented.
"If this is a case of first impression, as he contends in seeking a stay ... it is only because, unlike his many thousands of public servant predecessors, Dr. Navarro is apparently the first to steadfastly refuse to comply," wrote Kollar-Kotelly.
READ MORE: Trump's latest courtroom setback may be the 'costliest' yet
This comes after the Justice Department dismantled Navarro's argument in a blistering filing.
"Defendant argues that the United States, and thus the public, is only 'minimally affected' by Dr. Navarro retaining the presidential records he admittedly has until 'Dr. Navarro's rights are ensured as protected,'" said that failing. "But Defendant has never explained how his rights are affected by returning the records, and the public interest plainly lies in ensuring that the historical record of the prior administration is complete."
In addition to the records issue, Navarro was charged with two counts of contempt of Congress last June for his blanket refusal to cooperate with House investigators probing the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Investigators had subpoenaed him, citing reports that Navarro worked with Trump strategist Steve Bannon to "develop and implement a plan to delay Congress’s certification, and ultimately change the outcome, of ... the November 2020 presidential election.”
Navarro filed a motion to dismiss that case in January, arguing he was protected by virtue of executive privilege. District Judge Amit Mehta denied the motion, as Navarro did not provide any evidence to support that assertion.
A parting decision by D.C. District Judge Beryl Howell to slap aside executive privilege claims from Donald Trump to keep former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows from testifying could be the most significant blow to date against the former president who is at the center of multiple criminal investigations.
According to attorneys Dennis Aftergut, Norm Eisen and noted legal authority Laurence Tribe, should Howell's ruling hold up she will have handed special counsel Jack Smith a gift that could end up being the key to indicting Trump for his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection.
In a column for Slate, the three wrote the ruling, "may be the costliest moment yet in Trump’s long losing streak against Smith."
Noting a previous report that Meadows was "at the very center of Trump’s plans to overturn his presidential election” loss, the legal experts added, "
"Evidence the House Jan. 6 committee gathered showed that he [Meadows] had advance intelligence about the coming violence. If so, Smith will want to know about any discussion with Trump about those early warnings," they wrote before adding, "Likewise, Smith will surely seek Meadows’ testimony about a damning conversation to which Cassidy Hutchinson, Meadows’ aide, testified in Congress. She said Meadows told her that Trump, upon hearing that the insurrectionists were screaming 'Hang Mike Pence!,' replied that Pence 'deserved it.'"
They also note that Meadows has over 1,000 text messages that were not turned over to the House select committee that investigated the Capitol insurrection and that they will be fair game for Smith to pursue.
"At any rate, Smith’s focus on Meadows suggests that the special counsel is preparing his endgame. In conspiracy cases, prosecutors proceed first to gather evidence from the least culpable witnesses and last to gather evidence from those who are most culpable and closest to the investigation’s target," they elaborated before adding, "As for Meadows’ endgame, with executive privilege off the table, his most likely recourse to block questioning will be the Fifth Amendment. Based on what we know from the Jan. 6 committee’s extensive public record, Meadows has serious criminal exposure of his own."
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