A complaint has been filed against Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL-23) by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT). The complaint is calling on the Office of Congressional Ethics to launch an investigation into Wasserman-Schultz “for violating federal law and House ethics rules.”
The complaint alleges Wasserman-Schultz failed to disclose financial transactions on time, along with a dependent child’s financial transactions.
“Contrary to this legal requirement, it was recently reported that Representative Wasserman-Schultz failed to publicly disclose stock transactions as required by law. Wasserman-Schultz purchased up to $15,000, and her dependent child purchased up to $45,000, in a telecommunications-product company called Westell Technologies in October 2020, but she did not disclose the trades until July 2021.”
The complaint is part of a larger series of complaints filed against members of Congress after some lawmakers have been suspected on using government information for their personal profit through insider trading.
The allegation against Wasserman-Schultz is alleged to be in violation of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK Act) which was signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2012.
FACT has said the disclosure reports indicating discrepancies for Congressional members are one of the ways watchdog groups can monitor potential unethical actions.
“These disclosure reports are the only way for citizens and watchdog organizations to monitor election officials and determine if they are profiting from positions,” said Kendra Arnold, executive director of FACT, told Fox News. “The only way to determine this in a timely manner is if they file the reports on time. Some lawmakers file the reports two years or six months late.”
Arnold also noted it is unusual numerous Congressional members have not been following the law, as many of them, including Wasserman-Schultz, are long-standing members who supported the original STOCK Act legislation.
“All members are trained on this law. It is a commonly known law,” Arnold said. “When it was passed, it was high profile. It is especially puzzling when longstanding Senate and House members don’t follow it.”
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at the Florida Capital Star and the Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Photo “Debbie Wasserman-Schultz” by Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Background Photo “US Capitol” by FrancineS0321.
