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Government Officials Invest in Companies Their Agencies Oversee
Wall Street Journal ^ | October 11, 2022 | By Rebecca Ballhaus, Brody Mullins, Chad Day, John West, Joe Palazzolo and James V. Grimaldi

Posted on 10/11/2022 8:41:55 AM PDT by crusty old prospector

Thousands of officials across the government’s executive branch reported owning or trading stocks that stood to rise or fall with decisions their agencies made, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found. More than 2,600 officials at agencies from the Commerce Department to the Treasury Department, during both Republican and Democratic administrations, disclosed stock investments in companies while those same companies were lobbying their agencies for favorable policies. That amounts to more than one in five senior federal employees across 50 federal agencies reviewed by the Journal.

A top official at the Environmental Protection Agency reported purchases of oil and gas stocks. The Food and Drug Administration improperly let an official own dozens of food and drug stocks on its no-buy list. A Defense Department official bought stock in a defense company five times before it won new business from the Pentagon.The Journal obtained and analyzed more than 31,000 financial-disclosure forms for about 12,000 senior career employees, political staff and presidential appointees.

The review spans 2016 through 2021 and includes data on about 850,000 financial assets and more than 315,000 trades reported in stocks, bonds and funds by the officials, their spouses or dependent children.

(Excerpt) Read more at stocks.apple.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: corruption; crooks; investment; politicians
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It is a small club and you ain’t in it.
1 posted on 10/11/2022 8:41:55 AM PDT by crusty old prospector
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To: crusty old prospector

Whenever the absence of corruption is found, THAT is newsworthy. Our government may not be salvageable.


2 posted on 10/11/2022 8:46:50 AM PDT by Spok (Homelessness will not be solved by incentivizing it; it must be made harder, not easier.)
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To: crusty old prospector

Isn’t that trading stocks on insider information? Which happens to be illegal? Anyone ask Martha Stewart?


3 posted on 10/11/2022 8:47:25 AM PDT by blackdog (The head, hands, and heart, serve even further than the purse. )
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To: crusty old prospector

The article is written in the spirit of “too big a problem to care” thesis.


4 posted on 10/11/2022 8:49:19 AM PDT by blackdog (The head, hands, and heart, serve even further than the purse. )
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To: crusty old prospector

Get rich quick with this one trick.


5 posted on 10/11/2022 8:53:35 AM PDT by robel
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To: crusty old prospector

This is a policy that needs to be addressed and enforced. I work for an agency that has hired a few seasoned employees who worked for the contractor. Yes, managers to took a Govt Job.

Part of their retirement package was the contractor’s 401K program and stock purchase program. They do not purchase shares after they started with the agency; but we cannot force them to liquidate their retirement they started before beginning with the Agency

Then there is the consideration of whether they are in a position to influence (either positively or negatively) future Govt contracts. I understand and support the idea of Govt agents or politicians benefiting from stock, via insider trading.

But there are exceptions


6 posted on 10/11/2022 8:59:42 AM PDT by Hodar (A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.- Burroughs)
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To: crusty old prospector

I’m sorry, but we are going to have to start hanging thieves.

There are too many of them and they aren’t afraid of having to go to prison.


7 posted on 10/11/2022 9:08:19 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer” )
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To: crusty old prospector

I’ve said for years

Term Limits and Stock Limits on Congressmen are wrong-footed and actually weaken the republic.

Fed.gov is so bloated and massive, its the MIC and bureaucrats who actually make the regulations and receive the bulk of lobbying efforts. They build fiefdoms which are completely unaccountable.

At least you can campaign against a corrupt congressman. You have Zero input over the likes of Fauci or Comey

TERM LIMITS for all Fed.gov bureaucrats and their programs FIRST


8 posted on 10/11/2022 9:09:59 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: crusty old prospector

Of course, been happening for a looong time. They legislate for their lobbyists to a profitable outcome for themselves.


9 posted on 10/11/2022 9:31:27 AM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: blackdog

Martha lied to the FBI... a separate crime


10 posted on 10/11/2022 9:35:16 AM PDT by Oystir
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To: crusty old prospector

Don’t we already know this? Right up there with giving family memebers businesses government contracts


11 posted on 10/11/2022 9:36:28 AM PDT by happilymarriedmom
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To: crusty old prospector

Good work if you can get it.


12 posted on 10/11/2022 9:38:31 AM PDT by Pocketdoor
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To: null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; bgill; bitt; ...

p

we slaves who lost 20-50% are getting really pissed..


13 posted on 10/11/2022 9:38:40 AM PDT by bitt (<IMG SRC=' 'width=50%>)
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To: Openurmind

A term was coined years ago: “Regulatory Capture”.

I have a SIL who still believes all regulators are as pure as the driven snows. Votes Democrat, of course.


14 posted on 10/11/2022 9:39:31 AM PDT by Chad C. Mulligan
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To: crusty old prospector

Corruption is endemic to government, at every level. Makes it right? No. I would prefer laws that make it required for all public officials, elected or appointed (including all judges), to put their investments in a blind trust. You are not forced to work in government, but if you choose to any hint of possible conflict of interest should be removed.


15 posted on 10/11/2022 9:39:32 AM PDT by Wuli (ur)
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To: crusty old prospector

Didn’t Nan just invest in a drug company that makes radiation fall out treatment?

Didn’t XiDen even MORE recently just make a YUGE purchase of this drug?


16 posted on 10/11/2022 9:40:46 AM PDT by Jane Long (What we were told was a “conspiracy theory” in 2020 is now fact. 🙏🏻 Ps 33:12)
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To: blackdog

Insider trading is reserved for swamp dwellers and she wasn’t one of them.


17 posted on 10/11/2022 9:42:57 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Inside every leftist is a blood-thirsty fascist yearning to be free of current societal constraints.)
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

Yep... You can bet this practice goes back to the very beginnings of our Republic.


18 posted on 10/11/2022 9:54:00 AM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: crusty old prospector

They all did their OGE450s and 1)nobody bothered to review them and/or 2) if reviewed, the contents were ignored.


19 posted on 10/11/2022 9:58:38 AM PDT by jagusafr ( )
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To: crusty old prospector

I would love to see how many bureaucrats and politicians bought Pfizer stock in 2019


20 posted on 10/11/2022 11:44:24 AM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes.)
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