Latest Disclosures Put Congressional Trades Under the Spotlight

The STOCK Act, passed in 2012, was meant to ensure transparency in lawmakers’ financial dealings by requiring members of Congress to report their trades within 45 days. Yet, recent filings show that some lawmakers continue to miss deadlines by months or even years, while reaping huge gains in the process. The latest disclosures underscore just how persistent these violations have become.

Tim Moore’s Timely Tech Bets

Representative Tim Moore has come under scrutiny for a series of trades that coincided with major market-moving announcements. On July 29, Moore bought shares of Intel Corp (INTC:US) while serving on the House Subcommittee on AI. Not long after, news broke that the U.S. government was weighing a 10% stake in Intel, sending the stock up more than 25% since Moore’s purchase.

This wasn’t the only timely move. Earlier, Moore purchased UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH:US) stock, which has since risen nearly 10%. His dual role as both lawmaker and investor fuels questions over how much of an edge members of Congress may gain from their positions.

Rick Scott’s $26 Million Violation

The most striking case comes from Senator Rick Scott, who recently submitted filings covering trades worth approximately $26 million, but did so more than a year after the transactions took place. Under the STOCK Act, this delay is a clear violation.

The sheer scale of Scott’s trades and the fact that they involved companies under the purview of his legislative role has intensified concerns about conflicts of interest. For many observers, the episode highlights how little accountability there is when deadlines are ignored.

Nvidia Trades From Dan Meuser

Representative Dan Meuser also landed in violation territory after reporting up to $1.5 million in Nvidia Corp (NVDA:US) stock sales. These trades were executed almost a year before being made public, missing the deadline by more than 10 months.

With Nvidia at the heart of the current AI wave, Meuser’s delayed disclosure left the public blind to trades in a company heavily influenced by U.S. policy, precisely the kind of opacity the STOCK Act was designed to prevent.

Lisa McClain’s Palantir Purchase

Another noteworthy case involves Representative Lisa McClain, who sits on the Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation. She only recently reported purchases of Palantir Technologies (PLTR:US) stock made back in 2024. The timing proved extremely profitable: since her entry, the stock has soared by an astonishing 674%.

Given Palantir’s extensive government contracts, McClain’s role on a subcommittee overseeing cyber and defense technologies makes her investment particularly controversial.

A System That Encourages Violations

What unites these cases is not just their scale, but the frequency with which lawmakers file disclosures far beyond the 45-day limit. In some instances, trades worth millions remain hidden from the public until long after prices have moved.

For ordinary investors, trading with access to privileged information is illegal. For lawmakers, late disclosures often carry little more than minor fines, if they’re penalized at all. This uneven system only deepens public mistrust in Congress.

Growing Momentum for Change

The repeated lapses from Moore, Scott, Meuser, McClain, and others are fueling renewed calls for tighter restrictions. Several lawmakers across party lines have floated proposals to ban congressional stock trading altogether, arguing that transparency rules have failed to restore public trust.

Until reforms take hold, or enforcement becomes meaningful, the cycle is likely to continue: trades made, deadlines missed and disclosures arriving long after profits are secured.