{"id":1343057,"date":"2022-02-25T16:10:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T21:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1343057"},"modified":"2022-02-25T16:10:33","modified_gmt":"2022-02-25T21:10:33","slug":"ethics-watchdog-calls-for-investigation-into-democrat-rep-kurt-schraders-stock-transactions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ethics-watchdog-calls-for-investigation-into-democrat-rep-kurt-schraders-stock-transactions\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethics Watchdog Calls for Investigation Into Democrat Rep. Kurt Schrader&#039;s Stock Transactions"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fethics-watchdog-calls-for-investigation-into-democrat-rep-kurt-schraders-stock-transactions%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1343057&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Rep.-Kurt-Schrader-D-OR-640x335-1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">The\u00a0Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a\u00a0non-partisan ethics watchdog organization,\u00a0demanded an investigation into vulnerable Democrat and\u00a0House Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Kurt Schrader\u2019s (D-OR)\u00a0stock transactions after he allegedly failed to adequately\u00a0disclose up to tens of thousands of dollars in stocks, violating federal law.<\/p>\n<p>The watchdog filed a complaint with the\u00a0Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) asking for a probe into Schrader\u00a0for\u00a0failing to disclose up to $30,000 in stock sales adequately. This equals up to\u00a0$15,000 in Charter Communications, Inc. stock on December 9 and up to $15,000 in AON PLC stock on December 14; however, the\u00a0stock sales were not reported until February 3, 2022 \u2014 after the 45-day deadline.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>Schrader\u00a0is required to submit a\u00a0periodic transaction report with the clerk in the House of Representatives within 30 to 45 days of stock transitions over\u00a0$1,000,\u00a0made on behalf of themselves or their spouses\u00a0under the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u00a0Molly Prescott,\u00a0congressman\u2019s spokesperson at the time, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.fo\/0K3oB#selection-2953.0-2953.268\">told<\/a> <em>Business Insider<\/em>\u00a0that the congressman does not have \u201cany direct involvement in investment decisions as it relates to the purchase or sale of stocks.\u201d Still, the watchdog argues that her statement is\u00a0irrelevant.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhether or not Members make the trades personally or have another party do so on their behalf, the Member is required to disclose the trades in a timely manner, as even having knowledge of their investments can create conflicts of interest,\u201d the watchdog said in a press release.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>In fact, one thing that the complaint does not mention is that\u00a0Schrader also sits on the\u00a0House Energy and Commerce Committee, which\u00a0jurisdiction includes\u00a0\u201celectronic communications and the Internet,\u201d \u201cprivacy, cybersecurity, and data security,\u201d and \u201cconsumer protection and product safety\u201d \u2014 all of which has the potential to influence bills that could impact Charter Communications, Inc. and\u00a0AON PLC stock prices.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0congressman\u2019s office <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.fo\/0K3oB#selection-2953.0-2953.268\">declined<\/a> to answer questions from <em>Business Insider<\/em> about\u00a0whether his investments into the two companies posed a\u00a0conflict of interest with his committee responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>FACT\u2019s Executive Director, Kendra Arnold, slammed the congressman in a press release saying there is\u00a0no excuse for violating the STOCK Act, calling it one of the\u00a0most fundamental ethics laws:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u200bThe STOCK Act is one of the most fundamental ethics laws and there is no excuse for violating it. The law does not allow Members to claim ignorance about their personal financial transactions, and the law would be wholly ineffective and unenforceable if such excuses worked. When a Member chooses to make stock transactions they have an affirmative duty to ensure compliance with the law, and the OCE must investigate and impose the proper penalties related to this violation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThis law is extremely important and it must be strictly enforced to determine whether a Member has used nonpublic information for profit,\u201d FACT\u2019s complaint said. \u201cThe failure of Members to follow the most basic ethics rules they created leads to public distrust in our elected officials as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe request the OCE investigate Rep. Schrader\u2019s stock trades and apparent failure to file the required timely and accurate disclosures and impose any appropriate sanctions,\u201d the complained added.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>The\u00a0National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), who\u2019s gone after the congressman hoping to have a Republican unseat him in the midterm elections, slammed Schrader in a statement to Breitbart News. \u201cKurt Schrader is a corrupt politician who is more concerned with enriching himself than serving Oregonians,\u201d said the NRCC Spokeswoman Courtney Parella.<\/p>\n<p>In 2012, Congress quickly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/09\/18\/11-democrats-have-allegedly-violated-the-stock-act-of-2012\/\">passed<\/a> the STOCK Act\u00a0and signed it into law after receiving substantial bipartisan support in both chambers. The legislation was introduced and promptly signed into law thanks to Breitbart News senior contributor Peter Schweizer, who in 2011 released <a class=\"x5l\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Throw-Them-All-Peter-Schweizer\/dp\/0547573146\/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&#038;ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1333541848&#038;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\"><em>Throw Them All Out,<\/em><\/a>\u00a0exposing corruption in the highest echelons of elected life.<\/p>\n<p>Schweizer\u2019s book, which exposed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and many others, revealed corruption concerns among Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, forcing Congress into adopting the STOCK Act that implemented stricter reporting and ethics requirements.<\/p>\n<p>A full copy of the FACT\u2019s complaint against Schrader can be found <a class=\"x5l\" href=\"https:\/\/u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net\/ls\/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATURplXUA-2Bp9u17YoG-2FFJgorR-2F6m6djFsSfjnSztgfdD-2Ft3siIH8UkEJuy56H6-2FRZOMaYCrPcPJUOU6-2FbekjYtbH9bCu9qLxVpxp7eFZeqOsHFS0PU3puNw-2FXujYUnN2t87GMDKKpsYiphpFXItfDnUN4-3DLm6Q_R8lwTm5hZzrmifbLr0xdntKkJoH1IyQ6ghEg5pJplZEJxuTii83KDJ9bAIeCv-2BkxIWufTJrqRnSZtqmlpg1rzP70Gm3CWkr4ui7ofOXXp5K3Ioo03Qrx8fWenUa1iT5pAUIp7pFww4eQf1SVqrjqlN2IZR1gFRep40o1-2FLpuf5o66j-2BEbyYX4vLYz5UuCOybQ8j3hOCG3DEqJGBCQ-2FNRfIFZrzm2WQeL2TfJIp-2FTjw8OWs0u-2Fhzm-2Bvcs1dgRGahXJc1tlepavvfZ1nd54vny5sHHcxKyZLgvGteBTUa3g3AwhAWnPio8T7U-2Fv4nJ6lZWou7GoxUx-2F-2F-2Bnv5QTxjLmazjc9ThhTmE4V3MRW380qRI-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><i>Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jacobmbliss\"><i>Twitter<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The\u00a0Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a\u00a0non-partisan ethics watchdog organization,\u00a0demanded an investigation into vulnerable Democrat and\u00a0House Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Kurt Schrader\u2019s (D-OR)\u00a0stock transactions after he allegedly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1343057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1343057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1343057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1343057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1343057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1343057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1343057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}