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Last year, Rob Bresnahan told Pennsylvanians he’d end stock trading in Congress and even promised voters that he would “happily co-sponsor” a bipartisan bill to ban the practice. Since being elected to office, it seems Bresnahan has broken that promise.
New reporting from The New York Times reveals that, since taking office, Bresnahan has become the most prolific stock trader among his freshman class, executing over 264 trades—totaling $1.7 million in purchases and $3.03 million in sales (median income in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District is $61,140, according to Census data).
Bresnahan’s portfolio includes tens of thousands of dollars in stock in Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant known for its close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
DCCC spokesperson Justin Chermol:
“Rob Bresnahan lied to Pennsylvanians last year when he cosplayed as a phony populist. Now, the mega-millionaire is profiting from his multi-million-dollar stock portfolio while middle-class families in the district struggle to make ends meet.”
Read the new reporting from The New York Times below.
New York Times: He Said He Would Ban Congressional Stock Trading. Now in Office, He Trades Freely.
By Annie Karni | April 5, 2025
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Last March, when Rob Bresnahan, Jr., a wealthy business executive, was running to represent a competitive House district in northeastern Pennsylvania, he published a letter to the editor in a local newspaper demanding an end to stock trading by members of Congress.
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“The trust our political leaders and institutions have from Americans is at a historic low and it’s easy to understand why,” Mr. Bresnahan wrote in the Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice. “Too often we hear about how politicians are making millions of dollars during their time in office, and it is sickening. If we want to restore trust in government and our political leaders, then Congress needs to lead with these policies.”
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If elected, Mr. Bresnahan told voters, he would co-sponsor legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress, a practice he said “needs to come to an end immediately.”
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More than two months after being sworn in, Mr. Bresnahan, who defeated a Democratic incumbent last November in one of the most expensive House races in the country, has not introduced or co-sponsored such a bill. Over that time, he has emerged as one of the most active stock traders in the freshman class, according to Capitol Trades, a site that monitors the stock market activity of lawmakers.
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Since he took office in January, Mr. Bresnahan has reported 264 stock trades, according to the site. He has purchased up to $1.7 million in stock since taking office, according to his periodic transaction report, and has sold up to $3.03 million.
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Mr. Bresnahan, who serves on the transportation and infrastructure committee, has traded some stocks related to those fields, including Caterpillar, the construction and mining equipment manufacturer; CXS, the railroad company; and Boeing, the airplane manufacturer.
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During his campaign, Mr. Bresnahan attacked his Democratic opponent, Matt Cartwright, for failing to co-sponsor legislation cracking down on the practice.
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“This is the topic of bipartisan legislation right now in the House that I would happily co-sponsor,” he wrote in the letter to the editor. “My opponent, Matt Cartwright, is not a co-sponsor of this bill.”
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Since he arrived on Capitol Hill, Mr. Bresnahan has yet to do so himself. He has not signed on to the No Corruption In Government Act, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit insider trading by members of Congress and their spouses. Nor has he added his name to the TRUST in Congress Act, a bill that would require lawmakers, their spouses and children to place certain assets into blind trusts while serving in office.
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Donald K. Sherman, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a Democratic-aligned watchdog group, said that Mr. Bresnahan’s trades raised questions, particularly given his promises and commitments during the campaign.
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“More importantly, these questions wouldn’t be asked if he divested from engaging in selling and buying and owning individuals assets like stocks,” Mr. Sherman said. “He made the choice to run for Congress. He has the choice to not be engaged in the stock market. That choice remains available to him.”
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