Freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan, who recently introduced a bill to ban congressional stock trading, has come under scrutiny after disclosures revealed he reportedly made over $4 million in trades during his first months in office.
Elected in November, the Pennsylvania Republican campaigned heavily on restoring trust in government, vowing to prohibit lawmakers and their spouses from trading individual stocks, according to the Daily Beast.
Bresnahan’s proposed TRUST (Transparency in Representation through Uniform Stock Trading Ban) Act echoes earlier bipartisan efforts but includes fewer restrictions, allowing members to keep existing portfolios.
Despite claiming he had never traded stocks personally, Bresnahan was flagged by Capitol Trades as one of Congress’ most active new traders, executing 357 trades worth about $4.1 million by early April 2025. Many of those transactions involved companies directly related to his committee work, such as Caterpillar, Boeing and CSX.
The representative’s team maintains the trades were handled solely by a financial advisor without his input, and they emphasize he is in the process of moving his assets into a blind trust. The revelation has triggered criticism and skepticism, especially as his bill currently lacks any co-sponsors, while a similar bipartisan bill already has dozens.
While Bresnahan insists he’s working with the House Ethics Committee to comply with transparency standards, critics question the timing and optics of his financial activity.
Originally published on Latin Times
