U.S. media broke the news that nearly 100 U.S. congressmen were suspected of insider trading

　　The New York Times recently disclosed that from 2019 to 2021, nearly 100 U.S. congressmen were suspected of taking advantage of their positions to trade financial assets such as stocks and bonds by obtaining inside information to make profits in the financial market.

　　The New York Times said that of the 535 members of Congress, 183 current members of Congress reported investment transactions of themselves or their families between 2019 and 2021.

Of these, 97 members of Congress reported more than 3,700 transactions that intersected with their committee work and had conflicts of interest.

There are 49 Republicans and 48 Democrats, almost evenly split between the two parties.

　　During his tenure on the House Homeland Security Committee, Texas Rep. Michael McCaul's family traded stocks including IBM and Accenture, two major DHS contractors.

McCall's family traded millions of dollars in Meta stock during the committee's 2019 hearings against company executives over the social media company's handling of misinformation.

　　During his tenure as a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and his spouse traded stocks of investment banks including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

　　While serving on the House Financial Services Committee, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips sold shares in four banks on the eve of bank executives appearing before the committee's hearings.

　　Georgia Rep. Austin Scott bought and sold shares of General Electric, a military contractor, in late 2020, and Scott sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

　　During his tenure on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Thomas Carper of Delaware has repeatedly traded stocks in oil and gas giants.

　　New York Times reporter Kate Kelly: One can't help but wonder about such a coincidence.

In other words, if a person serves on a military committee while simultaneously trading shares of Raytheon or Northrop Grumman, it is reasonable to assume that there is a potential conflict.

Because this person is likely to have occasional or even regular access to information unknown to the public.

　　The New York Times pointed out that while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not included in the list of 97 members, her husband, Paul Pelosi, is an investor in real estate and technology companies.

Between 2019 and 2021, Paul Pelosi bought and sold stocks, options and other financial assets worth about $25 million to $81 million.

And many of the tech companies he trades in stocks belong to industries that have been affected by legislation that has been investigated or pushed by the U.S. Congress in recent years.

　　MPs use their power for personal gain

　　U.S. legal regulation is useless

　　In fact, the United States passed the "Stop Using Congressional Information Trading Act" in 2012, referred to as the "Stock Law", which prohibits lawmakers from conducting insider trading. However, for these "legislators", the so-called legal supervision is useless and has no binding force. .

　　In 2012, the "Stop Using Congressional Information to Trade Act", referred to as the "Stock Act", stipulates that U.S. congressmen and staff are not allowed to use non-public information to trade stocks.

The above-mentioned individuals are required to disclose transactions valued at more than $1,000 within 45 days of the stock transaction.

　　However, the law does not prohibit members of Congress and their relatives from owning or buying stocks, and even if members of Congress violate the relevant provisions of the act, the penalties are very small.

Under the Act, late filing of such reports is usually only subject to a small fine of $200, and sometimes exemptions.

　　Microsoft - NBC anchor: This bill has little effect.

Nearly 50 members of Congress (in 2021 alone), including Republicans and Democrats, and nearly 200 congressional staff members have repeatedly violated the Stock Act with little or no punishment.

They can make tens of millions of dollars using inside information.

What's the penalty for not reporting these transactions as required, it's a joke, just pay a $200 fine.

　　A poll by Morning Consult earlier this year showed that 63 percent of respondents wanted to ban lawmakers from stock trading.

　　Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group targeting the U.S. government (September 14), wrote on social media, “We need a blanket ban on congressional stock trading. Congressmen and their Families of people should not have the opportunity to turn inside information into personal gain."

　　Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of the United States, tweeted, “There should be no concern that their members of Congress are making decisions with their own eyes on their own stock holdings instead of serving the public interest.”

　　U.S. Politicians "Steal Yourself"

　　The two parties are highly consistent

　　Although the American public generally supports banning lawmakers from stock trading and calls on Congress to legislate to stop this phenomenon, most lawmakers in the United States and both parties have come out against it.

Experts believe that this reflects the high degree of consistency between US politicians of the two parties in "secrecy and self-stealing" and using power for personal gain.

　　Diao Daming, researcher at the National Institute of Development and Strategy of Renmin University of China: Recently, the US media and public opinion have been paying attention to the abuse of power and corruption in which members of both parties in the US Congress are suspected of insider trading and use the US financial market as their own cash machines. Behavior.

To a large extent, this reflects the dissatisfaction, disgust and anger of American public opinion and public opinion that, under the pressure of this kind of economic inflation, the politicians of the two parties in the United States continue to do nothing but harm the public and private.

　　In 2012, under the pressure of public opinion, the US Congress passed a related so-called legislation.

However, the scope of its restrictions is limited only to the members themselves, not even the members of the members.

This so-called "restriction" is completely useless.

　　In recent years, with the worsening situation of the U.S. economy, public opinion once again hopes that the U.S. Congress will further advance relevant legislation.

However, people like the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Pelosi and others have firmly opposed it on the grounds of so-called "market freedom".

Later, it became clear to the outside world that the reason for the opposition of Pelosi and others was that their families were making huge profits from it.

At a deeper level, this fully shows that the politicians of the two parties in the United States obviously represent their own self-interest and some special interests, and their behavior is not aimed at responding to the interests and demands of ordinary American people, but is deceiving public opinion. On the basis of the goal of maximizing self-interest.

It is completely impossible for the American people to count on these politicians to make responsive reforms and adjustments.

(CCTV News Client)