To: Interested Parties
From: Eli Cousin, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: May 19, 2026
Subject: The Case Against Rob BresnahanNortheastern Pennsylvanians work hard and are sick and tired of corrupt, self-serving politicians like Rob Bresnahan selling their community out just to try and make a quick buck. It only took Bresnahan a few months to cement his status as one of the most cartoonishly corrupt members in all of Congress. He made a promise on the campaign trail to ban congressional stock trading, but has since become one of the most active traders in all of Congress. Not only that, but his trades have coincided with the timing of key votes – leading to speculation that he’s profited off his insider access. Bresnahan has played the market while unleashing higher prices and devastating health care cuts on his own constituents.
Paige Cognetti’s story couldn’t be more different. In 2019 when the then-mayor of Scranton was indicted on federal bribery charges, Paige knew she didn’t want to raise her children in a place where public corruption was the norm. So she ran for Mayor of Scranton as an Independent, taking on the local political establishment in an insurgent campaign that was referred to as “Paige Against The Machine.” In Scranton, Paige has shown what government can do when leaders root out corruption and work as hard as the people they’re elected to serve. Her record as mayor proves that she delivers on her promises. She turned down the government car and gas card as mayor, ended cash payments and no-bid contracts in city hall, brought the city back from financial ruin to A- grade credit status, put more cops on the beat and invested in the police force to make her community safer, cut red tape, and built more homes for residents. Scranton is now a city on the rise thanks to Paige’s leadership. It’s the same reformer mentality that she had while working for the Pennsylvania Auditor General, where she went after waste, fraud, and abuse. Her North Star has always been the same: Taking on the powerful to serve the people first.
After winning this Scranton-based seat by only 1.6 percent in 2024, Bresnahan was always going to face a difficult path to re-election. But his own corruption, lies, and broken promises have decimated his trust with Northeastern Pennsylvanians and made him one of the most endangered Republican incumbents in the entire country. Bresnahan’s self-inflicted wounds, coupled with Paige’s record of reform, make this race not only a top-tier flip opportunity but a true referendum on political corruption.
Bresnahan Has Made Himself the Poster Child of Washington Corruption
As a candidate for Congress, Bresnahan pledged to take on the culture of corruption in Washington. He explicitly called for a ban on congressional stock trading while campaigning for Congress, writing in an op-ed: “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.” Then, Bresnahan went to Washington.
In his first weeks on the job, Bresnahan “emerged as one of the most active stock traders” in Congress, executing hundreds of trades worth millions of dollars. He faced a barrage of negative headlines drawing attention to his broken promise and seemingly never ending market moves.
In addition to the sheer volume, the timing of Bresnahan’s trades raised eyebrows. Bresnahan:
When pressed on why he refused to stop trading, Bresnahan – who reported having as much as $77 million in assets – proved how removed he is from the reality of the community he serves. Bresnahan said: “And then do what with it… just leave it there and lose money and go broke?”
After Bresnahan was called out for his hypocrisy, he tried to move the goalposts by insisting to his constituents during a telephone town hall: “I do not have any dialogues with my financial advisers.” But unearthed audio revealed that was just another lie. Bresnahan – on tape, in his own words – confessed to having direct discussions about his upcoming stock positions while in office, saying: “I meet with my financial advisor. We talk about, you know, what different positions are coming up.” That confession is the smoking gun that ties Bresnahan directly to his trading activity while in office.
Bresnahan’s corruption isn’t a Red team or Blue team issue. His prolific stock trading has been called out on Joe Rogan’s podcast, One America News, and Fox News. A constituent who voted for Bresnahan confronted him on his own telephone town hall, lamenting: “I didn’t send you there to trade.” Even Republicans privately and publicly have “raised concerns” about Bresnahan’s corruption and concede that “he’s throwing away his seat.” But Bresnahan’s stock trading hasn’t only led to bad headlines, it has lost him the trust of Northeastern Pennsylvanians. Polling from last year showed Bresnahan’s job approval rating 15 points underwater, and that a majority of PA-08 voters had seen, heard, or read about his stock trading – before paid ads had begun.
While Bresnahan has become a creature of the swamp, Paige has been hard at work cleaning up city hall. That’s the contrast in this race: While Bresnahan looks out for his own bottom line, Paige’s only concern is making government work for the people.
Bresnahan Broke His Promise to Protect Health Care, Unleashing Devastating Cuts and Skyrocketing Premiums
Broken promises have become a theme for Bresnahan. During his first months in Congress, Bresnahan insisted that he would not vote to cut Medicaid and strip health care access from his own constituents. Bresnahan drew a clear red line, stating: “If a bill is put in front of me that guts the benefits my neighbors rely on, I will not vote for it.” Unfortunately, Bresnahan’s word isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Bresnahan turned around and voted for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history. His vote is particularly devastating to Northeastern Pennsylvania, where more than 30 percent of his district relies on Medicaid to receive health care. In response to his blatant flip-flop, a local editorial board declared that Bresnahan’s health care-slashing vote “will and should define his tenure in Washington,” and that his arguments to try and justify it “defy common sense.” Bresnahan’s own invited State of the Union guest even called him out for his historic health care cuts while standing directly next to him.
Bresnahan’s vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill was also a gut punch to Pennsylvania hospitals. His vote cuts $137 billion from rural hospitals and health clinics over 10 years. It will slash an estimated $20 billion in Medicaid funding for hospitals and health clinics in Pennsylvania alone, putting several hospitals across the commonwealth at risk of closure. Bresnahan must have known his vote was a bad deal for Pennsylvania hospitals – he turned around and “sold off between $100,001 and $250,000 worth of bonds issued by the Allegheny County Hospital Development Authority,” which “came after a report identified 10 rural hospitals in Pennsylvania that faced immediate risk of closure.” Health clinics are already closing in other parts of the country as a direct consequence of his vote.
Recognizing that his cruel cuts have become a major political liability, Bresnahan has shamelessly attempted to paper over his disastrous health care record. But the facts are clear: Bresnahan has gutted access and allowed health care costs to skyrocket under his watch. Bresnahan voted for a GOP health care plan that did nothing to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. Because of Bresnahan’s failure to extend the tax credits, Pennie premiums have skyrocketed for hardworking Northeastern Pennsylvanians.
Meanwhile, Paige has been a champion for investing in NEPA’s hospitals and health clinics and will fight to lower costs and rollback Bresnahan’s damaging cuts when she gets to Washington.
While Bresnahan Lines His Pockets, Northeastern Pennsylvanians Pay the Price
With his own private helicopter, robust stock portfolio, and millions in assets that he largely inherited from his family, Bresnahan likely doesn’t feel much heartburn when prices go up. But hardworking Northeastern Pennsylvanians sure do – and under his failed representation, they’re paying more for just about everything.
Bresnahan campaigned on a promise to lower costs at home and cut back on spending overseas. Instead, Bresnahan now supports spending billions of dollars overseas on a reckless war with Iran that is forcing Northeastern Pennsylvanians to pay more to fill up their gas tank. And while Bresnahan monitors movement in the market during global tariff announcements, Northeastern Pennsylvanians are left paying more on everything from groceries to housing thanks to his votes in favor of the cost-spiking tariffs in Congress.
While Bresnahan’s constituents pay more, he makes out like a bandit. Bresnahan voted to give himself a major tax break in Washington: he will save “anywhere between $19,300 and $23,600” thanks to his vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill which gives tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. It’s no wonder why he was rated as one of “the most corrupt politicians” in the entire country by an anti-corruption organization. One thing is clear: the only person better off with Bresnahan in office is himself.
As Bresnahan jacks up costs and slashes his own taxes in Washington, Paige is balancing budgets and returning taxpayer dollars in Scranton. Raising two young daughters alongside her husband who runs a local small business, Paige knows what it means for Northeastern Pennsylvania families to face rising prices. In Congress, Paige will work with anyone to drive down costs for her community. That’s the difference between Bresnahan and Paige: He works for himself, while Paige works for NEPA.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
The New York Times: He Said He Would Ban Congressional Stock Trading. Now in Office, He Trades Freely. [The New York Times, 4/5/25]
Representative Rob Bresnahan Jr., who campaigned on prohibiting stock trading by members of Congress, has emerged as one of the most active stock traders…
NBC News: Rep. Rob Bresnahan sold stock in several Medicaid providers before voting for cuts [NBC News, 11/20/25]
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Rob Bresnahan’s stock trades fuel doubts about GOP hold on key Pa. swing seat [The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/10/25]
The New York Times: Congressman’s Stock Trades Draw More Scrutiny After Key Votes [The New York Times, 8/16/25]
POLITICO: Unearthed audio appears to contradict Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s stock trading claims [POLITICO, 3/10/26]
WNEP: Congressman Rob Bresnahan faces scrutiny over Medicaid vote and stock trades [WNEP, 5/1/25]
Scranton Times-Tribune Editorial Board: Our Opinion: Bresnahan’s budget vote breaks promises to avoid Medicaid cuts [Scranton Times-Tribune, 7/6/25]
The Keystone: Report: Bresnahan pockets millions after voting to cut his own taxes [The Keystone, 5/10/26]
New York Times, Opinion: The Scrappy Mayor Showing Democrats How It’s Done [The New York Times, 3/17/26]
Notably, some of [Cognetti’s] fiercest fights have been with her own party. She first ran for mayor as an independent in 2019, to replace a Democratic incumbent who had pleaded guilty to extortion, bribery and conspiracy. Pitching herself as a scourge of the local Democratic machine, she vowed to clean up City Hall. Her unofficial slogan became “Paige against the machine,” a play on the band Rage Against the Machine.
Independent Voter News: Paige Against the Machine: Scranton Mayor Runs Against Congressional Corruption and Old Party Rules [Independent Voter News, 3/30/26]
Associated Press: “Cognetti will campaign as an independent-minded Democrat and can-do corruption-fighting mayor who beat the party’s nominee in 2019 to grab the top office in Scranton” [Associated Press, 9/2/25]
Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Scranton Mayor Cognetti announces campaign for Congress to ‘clean up corruption’ [Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, 9/2/25]
Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Mayor Cognetti details her accomplishments on behalf of Scranton [Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, 8/26/25]
Cognetti said her administration has made a concerted effort to foster transparency and good governance in Scranton by implementing initiatives focused on open communication, responsible fiscal management, citizen engagement, and commitment to ethical practices. She said these actions reflect her commitment to reforming Scranton’s government, rebuilding public trust, and preventing the recurrence of legacy corruption issues.
CNN: First woman is elected mayor of Scranton, as an independent after sparring with Democratic machine [CNN, 11/6/19]
Cognetti credited her historic win to her outsider profile, saying voters had decided it was time for a newcomer promising much-needed change to try their hand at managing the city.
PATH TO VICTORY
Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District has an electorate with a unique anti-corruption attitude and a proven willingness to support the candidate over the party. Spanning five counties in the northeastern corner of the Commonwealth, strong Democratic congressional candidates here have consistently outperformed top of ticket presidential and Senate candidates. And with the generic ballot favoring Democrats by double digits, this is a top pickup opportunity in 2026.
Having Governor Josh Shapiro – who has endorsed Paige – at the top of the ticket in 2026 will provide an unequivocal boost to the Democratic ground game. Not only did Governor Shapiro win by a 10-point margin here in 2022, but he remains favorable among likely 2026 voters. He has particularly succeeded in courting young voters who are moved by Paige’s anti-corruption and good governance messaging.
Paige enters the race with high familiarity among voters across the district from her time serving as mayor of Scranton, the county seat of Lackawanna. They know and like her story as an independent outsider and have soured on Bresnahan. Polling from 2025 showed that the majority of PA-08 voters had already heard about his stock trading. When given further information about how Bresnahan broke his promise and became one of the most active traders in Congress, a majority of voters reported having “very serious concerns.”
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. Paige has taken on the machine before, and she’ll do it again in order to clean up a broken Washington and put NEPA first. |
