To: Interested Parties
From: DCCC Regional Press Secretary Eli Cousin
Date: September 2, 2025
Subject: Rob Bresnahan Has Deeply Damaged His Own Re-Election Odds With His Prolific Stock Trading
Rob Bresnahan’s first months in Congress have been defined by a barrage of negative headlines drawing attention to the fact that he campaigned on a pledge to ban congressional stock trading, but has instead become a prolific trader since coming to DC. Bresnahan – who has reported personal assets in the multi-millions – told Northeastern Pennsylvanians one thing on the campaign trail to get their vote, only to turn around and do the opposite in office. Now, Bresnahan is facing scrutiny for well-timed trades that suggest he may have profited off of his own votes that hurt his constituents. After winning this Scranton-based seat by roughly 1.5 percent in 2024, Bresnahan was always going to face a difficult path to re-election. But his own actions, lies, and broken promises have decimated his trust with Northeastern Pennsylvanians and make him even more vulnerable heading into 2026.
Rob Bresnahan campaigned on a pledge to ban congressional stock trading. Instead, Bresnahan became a prolific stock trader as soon as he arrived in DC.
As a candidate for Congress, Bresnahan penned a letter to the editor calling for an immediate ban on congressional stock trading, writing: “Some of the most prolific traders in the country serve in Congress. Whether or not they have done something wrong, the idea that we can buy and sell stocks while voting on legislation that will have a direct impact on these companies is wrong and needs to come to an end immediately. This is the topic of bipartisan legislation right now in the House that I would happily co-sponsor.”
But in April, the New York Times reported that Bresnahan had “emerged as one of the most active stock traders” in Congress, executing hundreds of trades worth millions in his first weeks in Washington. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in August that Bresnahan “has reported 617 stock trades totaling $7.24 million this year.” The Scranton Times-Tribune Editorial Board has slammed Bresnahan’s stock trading flip-flop, warning voters to “be leery of officials who promise one thing, [but] do another.”
Now, new polling released this morning shows Bresnahan’s job approval 15 points underwater, with the majority of PA-08 voters already having heard about his stock trading. When given further information about how Bresnahan broke his promise and has become one of the most active traders in Congress, 54% of voters have “very serious concerns.”
After facing scrutiny, Bresnahan promised to place his assets in a blind trust – only to then walk back that pledge. Asked why he simply won’t stop trading, Bresnahan whined that he does not want to “lose money and go broke.”
In a May press release, Bresnahan pledged to move his assets into a blind trust: “I am working with House Ethics to begin the process of enacting a blind trust. I want the people I represent to trust that I am in Congress to serve them, and them alone.”
But Bresnahan has continued to trade stocks freely, executing additional trades despite his assets still not being placed into a blind trust. Bresnahan even walked back his pledge to move his assets into a blind trust, lamenting that the process is too “excruciating.” When pressed on why he won’t simply stop trading stocks, Bresnahan told local WVIA that doing so would cause him to “lose money and go broke.”
Bresnahan’s stock trades have coincided with his votes in DC and market swings – fueling the perception that he may be profiting from his perch.
Now, even Republicans worry Bresnahan’s stock trading saga will cost him his seat.
POLITICO: “House Republicans also have privately raised concerns about Rep. Rob Bresnahan, another Pennsylvania Republican who has been a prolific stock trader after promising on the campaign trail to push a trading ban in Congress.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer: “Republicans worry that Bresnahan’s trading will turn off the type of voter they need to hold these swing districts. ‘Whether he realizes it or not his continuing scuffles on this issue are making him an even more inviting target for Democrats,’ GOP political consultant Chris Nicholas said. ‘I don’t know what he’s doing but he’s throwing away his seat,’ said another Pennsylvania GOP consultant.
New York Times’ Annie Karni: “This stock trading issue is not going away for him and, per people I have talked to, makes this the seat Republicans are most anxious about losing, after the Bacon seat in NE.”
BOTTOM LINE: Rob Bresnahan campaigned on cleaning up Washington, but has instead become the poster-child of the swamp. With each new stock trade, Bresnahan’s image as a self-serving, dishonest politician becomes even more baked in with voters. Bresnahan’s prolific stock trading is more than just a broken promise – it’s a scandal of his own making that will define his time in Washington and be a major reason why he will lose his seat. |
