Campaign Legal Center and 15 others across the political spectrum call for President Biden to uphold his campaign promise to actively support legislation that would prohibit members of Congress from trading stock.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) asked the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, or Senate Ethics Committee, to disclose whether it authorized senior committee staff members’ stock holdings that appear to violate Senate rules, which ban ownership of stocks that conflict with their employing committee’s jurisdiction.  

The 2012 Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act failed in its objectives to prevent corruption or its appearance and ensure that Congress prioritizes the public over their own interests. This failure has made it clear that transparency alone is not enough to penalize insider trading and increase public trust, and CLC’s calls for meaningful reform reflect this unsustainable status quo.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) analyzes the pros, cons and possible loopholes of various Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act reform proposals.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) compiled stock trading information for members of the 117th Congress based on public financial disclosures reported in 2021.

On Feb. 11, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed comments with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding regulatory amendments to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The comments urged the DOJ to strengthen the application of FARA’s disclaimer requirements—which attribute political content to a foreign source—to social media and other digital communications.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) commissioned a national poll on the desire among voters for ethics reform in Congress, which was conducted by AGL Research, a Democratic firm, and GS Strategy Group, a Republican firm. The poll found that there was overwhelming support for reforming our ethics laws to hold members of Congress accountable for ethics violations, and that despite deep cynicism about the ethics of politicians, voters across partisan lines believe that stronger ethics laws can make elected officials act more ethically.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. James "Jim" Hagedorn for possibly accepting and failing to report illegal in-kind contributions in the form of free campaign office space in violation of federal law and House rules. 

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. Moore for possibly converting leadership PAC funds to personal use, in violation of the House Rules. Only 12% of Rep. Moore's leadership PAC spending from 2019 to 2020 went toward other candidates and political parties and groups. 

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. Mike Kelly for possibly converting leadership PAC funds to personal use, in violation of the House Rules. Only 22% of Rep. Kelly's leadership PAC spending from 2019 to 2020 went toward other candidates and political parties and groups. 

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. Seth Moulton for possibly converting leadership PAC funds to personal use, in violation of the House Rules. Only 8% of Rep. Moulton's leadership PAC spending from 2019 to 2020 went toward other candidates and political parties and groups. 

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. Roger Williams for possible violations of the STOCK Act and House Rules. Rep. Williams may have failed to disclose up to $45,000 worth of stock transactions.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. Thomas Suozzi for possible violations of the STOCK Act and House Rules. Rep. Suozzi may have failed to disclose up to $11 million worth of stock transactions.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. Bobby Scott for possible violations of the STOCK Act and House Rules. Rep. Scott may have failed to disclose up to $60,000 worth of stock transactions.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Del. Michael San Nicolas for possible violations of the STOCK Act and House Rules. Rep. Gooden may have failed to disclose more than $50,000 worth of stock transactions.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. Warren Davidson for possible violations of the STOCK Act and House Rules. Rep. Davidson may have failed to disclose up to $100,000 worth of stock transactions.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. Lance Gooden for possible violations of the STOCK Act and House Rules. Rep. Gooden may have failed to disclose up to $376,000 worth of stock transactions.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for an investigation into Rep. Cindy Axne for possible violations of the STOCK Act and House Rules. Rep. Axne may have failed to disclose up to $645,000 worth of stock transactions.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) asks the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) to investigate Rep. Diane Harshbarger for a possible violation of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act and House rules. Rep. Harshbarger failed to properly disclose more than 700 stock and securities trades together worth at least $728,000 and as much as $10.9 million.  

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) asks the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Sen. Rand Paul for a possible violation of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act. Sen. Paul failed to properly disclose a stock purchase in a company that makes COVID-19 treatments.