Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alexandria-ocasio-cortez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a> (D-NY) appears to be at the top of the shortlist for a key spot on the powerful House Oversight Committee.
The leftist firebrand <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/27/rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-could-become-number-two-democrat-on-oversight-panel-00079938" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told POLITICO</a> on Friday there have been &#8220;conversations&#8221; about her being picked as vice ranking member, but she stressed &#8220;nothing&#8217;s been finalized.&#8221;
If she were chosen for the No. 2 position, Ocasio-Cortez would become the lieutenant to ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and play a leading role in setting the course for Democrats to counter GOP plans to investigate various aspects of the Biden administration.
Because Raskin is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-rep-jamie-raskin-announces-cancer-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">undergoing cancer treatment</a>, his deputy could take on more responsibility, including sitting in for the ranking member for hearings during any absences. However, a Democratic aide insisted to POLITICO that any member can sit in for the ranking member.
“I have the greatest admiration for her skill, and I’m sure we’re going to be able to deploy her to maximum effect on the committee, along with all these other amazing new members,” Raskin said of Ocasio-Cortez, who is in her third term.
Party aides told the news outlet that Democrats on the panel are expected to meet on Monday to hash out their plan for the next two years. The report said the meeting could be used to finalize leadership positions. It also noted how Ocasio-Cortez previously served as Raskin&#8217;s vice chairwoman on the oversight subcommittee on civil rights issues, which fostered a &#8220;close relationship&#8221; that &#8220;fueled some speculation among some Democrats&#8221; about such a dynamic being repeated as Raskin ascended to the top minority party spot on the full committee.
Already there are hearings being scheduled for next week. <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/chairman-comer-announces-hearing-on-waste-fraud-and-abuse-in-pandemic-recovery-programs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One is set to take place on Wednesday</a> and is titled, “Federal Pandemic Spending: A Prescription for Waste, Fraud, and Abuse.&#8221;
Among the other Democrats <a href="https://twitter.com/maxpcohen/status/1618731849257451522" target="_blank" rel="noopener">picked to be on the House Oversight Committee</a> for this nascent session of Congress are Reps. Ro Khanna (CA), Katie Porter (CA), Cori Bush (MO), and Dan Goldman (NY).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“I’m very excited to welcome these extraordinary new members of our Committee, whose remarkable experiences and gifts will soon be known to the whole country.”
—RM <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRaskin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRaskin</a> welcoming the newest <a href="https://twitter.com/OversightDems?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OversightDems</a> 
Full statement: <a href="https://t.co/CI7CHO0Z0q">https://t.co/CI7CHO0Z0q</a> <a href="https://t.co/HO0R6PF0jn">pic.twitter.com/HO0R6PF0jn</a>
&mdash; Oversight Committee Democrats (@OversightDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/OversightDems/status/1618741893755719680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Republicans are led by Chairman James Comer (R-KY). Their members will include Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) and Paul Gosar (AZ), both of whom were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-set-to-make-comeback-with-new-committee-assignments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">selected this month for committee assignments</a> after being removed from their seats in flashes of controversy during the last session of Congress, as well as Lauren Boebert (CO).
In anticipation of fiery confrontations with his Democratic counterparts over the next couple of years, Comer told Axios that the oversight panel is &#8220;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/25/house-oversight-committee-exciting-comer-members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">probably the most exciting committee</a>&#8221; in congressional history.
Ocasio-Cortez told reporters on Friday that she thinks she is going to &#8220;have a lot of fun on this committee.” Democrats will have the &#8220;opportunity and platform to de-legitimize a lot of the disinformation that they&#8217;ve been advancing,&#8221; she added.

Jamie Raskin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

AOC May Get Key Spot On Oversight Committee: Report

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Congress

Jamie Raskin

Politics

U.S. House of Representatives

News broke Wednesday that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosi-dumped-google-stock-weeks-before-justice-department-unveiled-antitrust-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disclosed</a> the sale of between $1.5 million and $3 million worth of shares in Google&#8217;s parent company, Alphabet, just a few weeks before the Department of Justice announced an antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant.
Nancy and her husband Paul, who is often the person actually making the trades, have been accused multiple times in the past of using her position in the federal government to make advantageous moves in the stock market. The couple <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosis-husband-makes-big-tech-stock-moves-again-places-6-million-bet-as-congress-looks-to-rein-in-silicon-valley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sold</a> their Nvidia stock, albeit at a loss, right before the U.S. government announced new restrictions on the sale of computer chips to China and Russia, while Paul bought $6 million in tech options as Congress debated antitrust measures against Big Tech companies.
Coincidentally, the day before the news broke about the Pelosis&#8217; stock trades, Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-hawleys-insider-trading-bill-returns-to-congress-under-new-title-pelosi-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced</a> The Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments Act, otherwise known as the PELOSI Act. The bill, first introduced in 2022, would prohibit members of Congress or their family members from holding or trading individual stocks. Any existing investments would have to be divested or placed in a blind trust for the duration of the lawmaker&#8217;s tenure in office.
A <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/06/08/fact-check-meme-partly-false-millionaires-u-s-congress/7589391002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majority</a> of congresspeople are millionaires, and while most were already wealthy before entering Congress, they also tend to have success on the stock market while in office. Although there have been many efforts to rein in congressional stock trading, Hawley&#8217;s newest push has brought the issue back into the spotlight.
Many congresspeople were already wealthy and held considerable assets before they entered politics. Members of Congress tend to come from professional fields that are relatively lucrative — think doctors and lawyers. Some are extremely successful business owners who made the jump over to politics.
For example, Republican California Rep. Darrell Issa is currently the richest person in Congress, with an <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/now/5-richest-members-congress-130042592.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> net worth of $460 million as of September 2022. Before entering the House, Issa made a fortune in the car alarm business in the 1990s. Similarly, the top three richest senators, Rick Scott (R-FL), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Mitt Romney (R-UT) were all successful in private business before attaining public office.
But that doesn&#8217;t mean lawmakers don&#8217;t expand their wealth while in office. In fact, some have seen massive gains thanks to fortuitous moves on the stock market.
In 2021, members of Congress and their family members <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sat-members-of-congress-and-their-families-traded-over-630-million-in-stocks-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purchased</a> $267 million in assets while sales amounted to $364 million.
On average in 2021, Congress beat the market, <a href="https://unusualwhales.com/politics/article/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to an analysis by Unusual Whales. SPY, the exchange traded <a href="https://www.investors.com/news/spy-stock-buy-now/#:~:text=What%20Is%20SPY%20Stock%3F,trillions%20in%20dollars%20of%20investment." target="_blank" rel="noopener">fund</a> that owns all of the stocks on the S&amp;P 500 and one of the most important market measures for investors, saw a return of 13.6%. Meanwhile, both House Democrats and Republicans saw an average return of 14.7% and Senate Democrats saw a return of 15.4%. Only Senate Republicans failed to beat the SPY, with a 13% average return. One congressman saw a return of almost 800%.
Members of Congress have not only been fortunate in picking winning stocks, but they have also had a lot of luck in selling stocks — note the Pelosi example above — just in the nick of time to avoid massive losses. This level of success has attracted allegations of insider trading, i.e. using knowledge gained from their work in the federal government that is unavailable to normal Americans to make advantageous trades.
Four senators were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/us/politics/richard-burr-stocks-sold-coronavirus.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> of such malfeasance in the early days of the COVID pandemic. Former Republican Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia sold millions worth of stock after a closed-door briefing on the possible impacts of the coronavirus. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), David Perdue (R-GA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) also dumped stock in the early weeks of the pandemic.
The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission launched investigations into possible insider trading by the five lawmakers. All of the inquiries were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/richard-burr-stock-trades-investigation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> by January 2021. An Insider investigation found that many other Congress members bought or sold stock in vaccine manufacturers Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson &amp; Johnson during the pandemic.
Between 2019 and 2021, 97 members of Congress — almost 20% of all lawmakers in the Legislative Branch — <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/13/us/politics/congress-members-stock-trading-list.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that they made stock trades in companies that were influenced by their committees, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
There are already laws on the books to prevent insider trading, most notably the STOCK Act passed in 2012. A critical part of the law requires members of Congress to promptly disclose any stock trades made by them or close family members. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-senate-house-trading-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According</a> to an Insider report from early January, 78 members of Congress have recently failed to comply with the law and properly disclose stock trades, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-senate-house-trading-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to an Insider report from early January.
Congresspeople who violate the law face a fine, but it is usually only $200 and the penalty has been waived altogether several times by the House Ethics Committee. Two current members of the eight-person Ethics Committee were <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/about/committee-members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identified</a> in the Times analysis as having traded stocks in companies influenced by their committees and were among the 78 lawmakers who failed to comply with the STOCK Act.
“For too long, politicians in Washington have taken advantage of the economic system they write the rules for, turning profits for themselves at the expense of the American people,” Hawley said of the PELOSI Act in a <a href="https://twitter.com/abigailmarone/status/1617934984568012800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. Lawmakers who violate the proposed act would be forced to forfeit any profits from the investments to the American people and lose the ability to write off any losses on their taxes.
The first iteration of Hawley&#8217;s bill, which lacked the acronymic jab at the former House Speaker, stalled in the Democrat-controlled House in 2022. Democrats also scrapped another proposal to regulate lawmakers&#8217; stock trades just a few days before the 2022 midterms elections, with then-House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/3667251-democrats-scrap-plan-to-vote-on-stock-trading-ban-before-elections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claiming</a> that there wasn&#8217;t enough time for representatives to study the proposal.
Almost simultaneously with Hawley, Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3810797-bipartisan-duo-reintroduces-bill-banning-members-of-congress-family-from-trading-individual-stocks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a bill banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks for the third time. They previously introduced the bill in 2020 and 2021.
Given the poor track record of bills regulating congressional stock trading, both in getting passed and actually being enforced, chance of meaningful reform is dim. And in the meantime, members of Congress will most likely continue to beat the market.

House Speaker Pelosi Holds Weekly News Conference

Josh Hawley’s PELOSI Act Turns Spotlight On How Members Of Congress Regularly Beat The Stock Market

Josh Hawley's PELOSI Act Turns Spotlight On How Members Of Congress Regularly Beat The Stock Market

Josh Hawley

Nancy Pelosi

Readers Pass

U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FDA</a>) <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/health/fda-cbd-oversight.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-us-food-and-drug-administration-pain-management-business-marijuana-6c3fd2910c18e5929ae4fa4ec4f62444" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thursday</a> that updated regulations are needed for cannabidiol (CBD) and congress should create a path for such rules. 
In a statement on Thursday, FDA Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-concludes-existing-regulatory-frameworks-foods-and-supplements-are-not-appropriate-cannabidiol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that new regulations are necessary for <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/is-cbd-safe-and-effective/faq-20446700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBD</a>, which is a chemical in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a> and does not include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes users to experience a high.
Woodcock said that the agency is ready to work with the United States Congress to establish a new regulation process for CBD. The agency also refused to accept three petitions from people that had asked the FDA to create rules to permit CBD items to be sold as dietary supplements.
The FDA regulates the medication <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-drug-comprised-active-ingredient-derived-marijuana-treat-rare-severe-forms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Epidiolex</a>, which has CBD in it and was the first medicine that the agency approved that had active drug material that came from marijuana. However, the agency said that a group looked at studies connected to Epidiolex, as well as other research, and decided that it is not clear how CBD items “could meet safety standards for dietary supplements or food additives.”
&#8220;For example, we have not found adequate evidence to determine how much CBD can be consumed, and for how long, before causing harm,&#8221; the statement noted.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/01/26/cbd-fda-safety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that federal law holds that the active compounds used in prescription medication can’t also be food supplements. The FDA does not have much capability to increase the spread of CBD because of the existence of the medication, according to Peter Lurie, executive director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Using CBD, especially for a long amount of time, brings up questions about its safety, Woodcock’s statement noted. Research has revealed that it can possibly damage the liver, and could damage the male reproductive system. It can also react with specific medicines and could be an issue if pregnant women or children come into contact with it.
The agency is not planning to attempt to make regulations for CBD to be used in foods or dietary supplements. It also pointed out that the substance could be harmful to animals and consumers could accidentally come into contact with CBD through food products that are made from animals that eat CBD. The agency is also not going to make rules permitting CBD to be used in feed for animals.
State regulations differ on the substance. Some <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/body/cbd-legalization-by-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a> allow it to be used entirely, whereas others put certain parameters on it.
“I’m sure the FDA probably concluded that no matter which way they went, it would involve trying to fit a very big genie back into a very small bottle, and create a political firestorm,” Brian Ronholm, Director of Food Policy for Consumer Reports, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/01/26/cbd-fda-safety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “It’s not surprising that they would want to seek some cover from Congress.”

ACD8A49D-63EA-4004-A005-71E101ED0D1B_1_105_c

FDA Questions Safety Of CBD, Says It Is Ready To Work With Congress On Regulation

Big Pharma

Health

Medical

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/50bc1af2-3c4d-4930-97eb-8f78f4aebc5e/4A586B331CB917CD003F924A77D0867B.01.26.23-smr-letter-to-pfizer-re-covid-mutation-research.pdf">letter</a> to Pfizer this week demanding answers after an undercover sting video was published by Project Veritas this week that allegedly showed an official at the company claiming that it was involved in controversial research related to vaccines.
The 10-minute video, which has been viewed nearly 20 million times, shows a man identified as Jordon Trishton Walker, Pfizer’s director of research and development, strategic operations – mRNA scientific planner, claiming that the company is &#8220;exploring&#8221; ways to &#8220;mutate&#8221; coronaviruses so they can &#8220;create — preemptively develop new vaccines.&#8221;
&#8220;If we’re gonna do that though, there’s a risk of like, as you could imagine — no one wants to be having a pharma company mutating f***ing viruses,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/project-veritas-video-pfizer-official-says-firm-considering-ways-to-mutate-virus-via-directed-evolution">said</a>. “Don’t tell anyone. Promise you won’t tell anyone. The way it [the experiment] would work is that we put the virus in monkeys, and we successively cause them to keep infecting each other, and we collect serial samples from them.”
“You have to be very controlled to make sure that this virus [COVID] that you mutate doesn’t create something that just goes everywhere,” he added. “Which, I suspect, is the way that the virus started in Wuhan, to be honest. It makes no sense that this virus popped out of nowhere. It’s bulls***.”
Rubio responded to the video by sending a letter to Dr. Albert Bourla, chief executive officer and chairman of Pfizer Inc.
&#8220;I write in response to troubling reports on Pfizer’s intention to mutate the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) virus through gain-of-function, or &#8216;directed evolution,&#8217; as detailed by Pfizer Director of Research and Development, Jordan Walker,&#8221; Rubio said in his letter. &#8220;As has been proven time and time again, attempts to mutate a virus, particularly one as potent as COVID, are dangerous. If the claims detailed in the video are true, Pfizer has put its desire for profit over the concern of national and global health and must hold itself accountable.&#8221;   &#8220;In a video released by Project Veritas on January 25, 2023, Mr. Walker laid out Pfizer’s plans to develop new vaccines for future variants of COVID by mutating the virus through directed evolution, a process that uses protein engineering to impose natural selection on a living organism or other biological materials, including viruses,&#8221; the letter continued. &#8220;Though he claimed the research is currently &#8216;exploratory,&#8217; he detailed how the research would proceed, such as how scientists would inject the mutated viruses into monkeys and collect serial samples from other monkeys who are infected.&#8221;   Rubio demanded that Pfizer answer the following questions:
<ol>
<li>What efforts is Pfizer currently, or planning to, engage in to mutate the SARS-CoV-2 virus?</li>
<li>Does Pfizer intend to continue mutating the SARS-CoV-2 virus through gain-of-function, or directed evolution research, with the purpose of creating new vaccines before the variant is present in the greater population?</li>
<li>Has Pfizer engaged with federal officials engaged regarding their plans to oversee this research? Please provide the names and agencies for these individuals.</li>
<li>What steps has Pfizer taken to ensure the mutated virus does not leak from the laboratory and infect the greater population?</li>
<li>Has Pfizer engaged with other biopharmaceutical companies to collaborate on this research effort? Please list the entities that you have been in contact with.</li>
<li>Will you commit to halting any future research that mutates the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as substantial evidence has indicated that similar dangerous research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology very likely led to the initial emergence and global spread of the virus?</li>
</ol>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-pfizer-official-physically-assaults-james-okeefe-destroys-ipad-showing-undercover-recordings">WATCH: Pfizer Official ‘Physically Assaults’ James O’Keefe, ‘Destroys iPad Showing Undercover Recordings’</a>

Marco Rubio

Rubio Sends Letter Demanding Answers From Pfizer Over Project Veritas Video

COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccine

Pfizer

U.S. Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-gaetz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Gaetz</a> (R-FL) reintroduced legislation Thursday titled the “PENCIL Act” that would call to ban fellow Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) from handling any classified information.
Gaetz derived the resolution acronym, “Preventing Extreme Negligence with Classified Information Licenses,” from former President Donald Trump, who first called Schiff “little pencil neck” during a rally in 2019.
“Congressman Adam Schiff led the effort for years to weaponize lies from the Clinton campaign and a corrupt Department of Justice to smear President Trump while destroying any trust the country had left in America’s intelligence agencies,” Gaetz told <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/01/26/exclusive-matt-gaetz-pencil-act-adam-schiff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Caller</a>, which first obtained the legislation text.
Gaetz reintroducing the legislation comes two days after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) formally booted two high-profile Democrats from the House Intelligence Committee — Schiff and fellow California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell.
“Speaker McCarthy kept his promise to remove Rep. Schiff from the Intelligence Committee, and with the PENCIL Resolution, we will express the sense of Congress that he should be barred from accessing any classified information at all,” Gaetz added. “He can no longer be trusted by his colleagues in Congress or the American people.”
McCarthy has the unilateral authority to block members from the House Intelligence Committee as speaker.
McCarthy vowed to bump Schiff and Swalwell from the perches they held for years. McCarthy has also talked about removing Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the Foreign Affairs Committee, but that would take a House floor vote.
Schiff posted on the Chinese-owned TikTok app after McCarthy removed him from the House Intelligence Committee, saying the speaker pulled him “for doing my job, for holding Trump accountable and standing up to the extreme MAGA Republicans.”
Schiff denied taking classified information while speaking with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, who asked if he had taken any records home while serving on the committee.
“This is what’s so astounding, I think, for all of us on the Intelligence Committee,” Schiff <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schiff-claims-he-never-took-classified-docs-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “I never take classified documents to my house.”
“I don’t know any reason why people would,” Schiff added.
Following the removal of Schiff and Swalwell, former Trump administration official Mike Pompeo accused Schiff of leaking classified information.
“During my time as CIA director and secretary of state, I know that he leaked classified information that had been provided to him,” Pompeo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-cia-director-accuses-schiff-of-leaking-classified-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, adding when the administration provided information to Schiff and his staff, such documents “ended up in places it shouldn’t have been with alarming regularity.”
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Vote For Speaker Of The House Stretches Into Fourth Day

Gaetz Takes Jab At Schiff With ‘PENCIL Act’ Reintroduction

Gaetz Takes Jab At Schiff With ‘PENCIL Act' Reintroduction

Adam Schiff

Matt Gaetz

A freshman House Republican is starting out the new session of Congress with a bang.
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) passed out what he says are inert grenades to colleagues, marking his appointment to committees charged with protecting national security.
Daily Mail reporter Morgan Phillips shared a photo Thursday of one of the grenades, which features the image of the elephant symbol of the Republican Party, and an accompanying letter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep <a href="https://twitter.com/CoryMillsFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoryMillsFL</a> is passing out grenades to fellow House members <a href="https://t.co/khJmDrYcFH">pic.twitter.com/khJmDrYcFH</a>
&mdash; Morgan Phillips (@_phillipsmorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/_phillipsmorgan/status/1618648723764170753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Welcoming you to a mission-oriented 118th Congress. I am eager to get to work for the American people, and I look forward to working with you to deliver on this commitment. I am honored to be a part of the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees,&#8221; Mills wrote in the letter.
&#8220;In that spirit, it is my pleasure to give you a 40 mm grenade, made for a MK19 grenade launcher. These are manufactured in the Sunshine State and first developed in the Vietnam War,&#8221; he added.
Mills also called on his colleagues to &#8220;come together and get to work on behalf of our constituents.&#8221; In addition, the letter contained a note asserting the grenades are inert.
A spokesman for Mills <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/26/cory-mills-grenades-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed to The Washington Post</a> the contents of the photograph are legitimate and stressed, &#8220;the grenades are inert, and were cleared through all security metrics.&#8221;
Mills is a <a href="https://mills.house.gov/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decorated U.S. Army combat veteran</a> and businessman who became an appointee of former President Donald Trump to serve on a Pentagon defense advisory board. He ran a successful campaign to represent Florida&#8217;s 7th Congressional District in the 2022 election.
During the campaign, Mills made headlines for an ad mocking the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7OH3e2hXh0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;liberal media&#8221; for &#8220;crying&#8221;</a> about how his company PACEM Solutions sold riot-control munitions, including tear gas, that law enforcement used against <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gop-hopeful-sold-tear-gas-192514524.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Lives Matter demonstrators</a> and others.

Cory Mills

House Republican Passes Out Grenades To Colleagues

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/adam-schiff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Adam Schiff</a> (D-CA) announced on Thursday that he will run for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/second-democrat-lawmaker-will-enter-race-to-push-feinstein-out-of-the-senate">Senate seat</a> currently held by fellow Democrat Dianne Feinstein.
Schiff, a former House Intelligence Committee chair and proponent of the unfounded Trump-Russia collusion theory, posted a video to Twitter highlighting his case, dedicating multiple portions of the ad to former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Donald Trump</a> and impeachment.
&#8220;Today&#8217;s Republican Party is gutting the middle class, threatening our democracy. They aren&#8217;t going to stop. We have to stop them,&#8221; Schiff said. &#8220;The struggle isn&#8217;t over. Not for me, not for you, not for our country.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our democracy is at great risk. Because GOP leaders care more about power than anything else.
And because our economy isn’t working for millions of hard working Americans.
We’re in the fight of our lives—a fight I’m ready to lead as California’s next U.S. Senator. <a href="https://t.co/H0Pa0EhhMu">pic.twitter.com/H0Pa0EhhMu</a>
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchiff/status/1618626586303160325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The announcement comes the day after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) informed Schiff that he would be kicked off the Intelligence Committee, a move Schiff called &#8220;petty political payback.&#8221; The Republican leader cited Schiff&#8217;s lack of &#8220;integrity.&#8221;
Schiff is the latest Democrat to seek the seat Feinstein, 89, has held since the early 1990s. Although she had not publicly revealed whether she will run again, Feinstein&#8217;s advanced age and the recent loss of her husband have caused many to speculate that she will decide to retire from the Senate at the end of 2024.
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), who has been hailed as a strong &#8220;progressive&#8221; by the Left, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/embattled-democrat-announces-bid-for-senate-seat-dianne-feinstein-hasnt-vacated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced her candidacy</a> in mid-January as California was dealing with an onslaught of severe weather. Shortly after, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) told Congressional Black Caucus members that she plans to run for the seat as well, two sources familiar with the matter reportedly <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/11/barbara-lee-california-senate-00077482">told</a> POLITICO.
Feinstein said she would reveal her 2024 plans at a later date.
“Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time. Right now I’m focused on ensuring California has all the resources it needs to cope with the devastating storms slamming the state and leaving more than a dozen dead,” said Feinstein.

Rep. Schiff Briefs Media On Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

Adam Schiff Will Run For Dianne Feinstein’s Senate Seat

Adam Schiff Will Run For Dianne Feinstein's Senate Seat

California

Dianne Feinstein

Senate

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-bounces-dems-swalwell-schiff-omar-from-key-house-committees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Swalwell</a> (D-CA) appeared to threaten House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) after the Democrat was bounced from the House Intelligence Committee.
Swalwell, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alleged-chinese-spy-got-close-to-democrat-eric-swalwell-fbi-had-to-intervene" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allegedly had an affair with a Chinese spy</a>, told McCarthy he thinks he&#8217;ll &#8220;regret&#8221; the move, seeming to hint at political retribution of some kind.
&#8220;We will not be quiet,&#8221; Swalwell said Wednesday, referring to fellow Democratic Reps. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schiff-gets-serious-about-senate-run-im-getting-a-lot-of-encouragement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Schiff</a> of California and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, both booted from committees, too. &#8220;We’re not going away. I think he’ll regret giving all three of us more time on our hands.&#8221;
&#8220;But at the end of the day, our mission now is to restore the credibility and integrity of this institution of which the speaker has so gravely, so gravely smashed and destroyed,&#8221; the Democrat added.
Swalwell also claimed McCarthy is responsible for alleged death threats he&#8217;s been receiving, asserting, &#8220;Even though we have said publicly, ‘These smears are bringing death threats against us,’ he continues to do it, which makes us believe that there’s an intent behind it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Swalwell: &quot;[McCarthy] will regret giving all three of us more time on our hands.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/eDS02NWpHo">pic.twitter.com/eDS02NWpHo</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1618291679903256577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Swalwell has refused to address reports that he had an affair nearly 10 years ago with a Chinese national named Christine Fang, or Fang Fang, who posed as a political supporter but was later revealed to be a Chinese spy.
“Eric Swalwell cannot get a security clearance in the public sector. Why would we ever give him a security clearance in the secrets to America? So, I will not allow him to be on Intel,” McCarthy said back in November.
The House Speaker has also said the FBI never gave congressional leaders a briefing about Swalwell&#8217;s alleged relationship with the spy until he served on the Intelligence Committee.
&#8220;So, it wasn’t just us who were concerned about it,&#8221; the Republican said. &#8220;The FBI was concerned about putting a member of Congress on the Intel Committee, that has the rights to see things that others don’t, because of his knowledge and relationship with a Chinese spy. I got that briefing, so I do not believe he should sit on that committee… and I believe there’s 200 other Democrats that can serve on that committee.&#8221;
McCarthy on Tuesday announced that he had rejected Swalwell and Schiff, who pushed the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, from the House Intelligence Committee.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I have rejected the appointments of Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell for the House Intelligence Committee.
I am committed to returning the <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseIntel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HouseIntel</a> Committee to one of genuine honesty and credibility that regains the trust of the American people. <a href="https://t.co/ePxlbanxta">pic.twitter.com/ePxlbanxta</a>
&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1618047779422769154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Schiff was also upset about the removal.
&#8220;Kevin McCarthy just kicked me and [Eric Swalwell] off the Intelligence Committee,&#8221; the Democrat reacted on Twitter. &#8220;This is petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump. If he thinks this will stop me, he will soon find out just how wrong he is. I will always defend our democracy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kevin McCarthy just kicked me and <a href="https://twitter.com/RepSwalwell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepSwalwell</a> off the Intelligence Committee.
This is petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump.
If he thinks this will stop me, he will soon find out just how wrong he is. 
I will always defend our democracy.
&mdash; Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAdamSchiff/status/1618048304025341952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rep. Omar was bounced from the House Foreign Affairs Committee over past comments viewed as antisemitic.
&#8220;Kevin McCarthy’s purely partisan move to strip us from our committee is not only a political stunt, but also a blow to the integrity of our democratic institution and threat to our national security,&#8221; the &#8220;Squad&#8221; member reacted Wednesday. &#8220;If McCarthy wants to denigrate the House and its committees, we will always stand up to these efforts.&#8221;
Greg Wilson has contributed to this report. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-bounces-dems-swalwell-schiff-omar-from-key-house-committees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McCarthy Bounces Dems Swalwell, Schiff, Omar From Key House Committees</a>

Kevin McCarthy Eric Swalwell

Swalwell Seems To Threaten McCarthy After Boot From Committee: ‘He’ll Regret Giving All Three Of Us More Time On Our Hands’

Swalwell Seems To Threaten McCarthy After Boot From Committee

Eric Swalwell

Ilhan Omar

Kevin McCarthy

Two House Republicans are defending far-left Democrat Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ilhan-omar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ilhan Omar</a> (MN) after she was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The effort by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to remove Omar from Foreign Affairs comes after she has repeatedly made anti-Semitic remarks and hostile remarks about U.S. foreign policy.
Omar claimed in response that the effort to remove her from the committee was “a blow to the integrity of our democratic institutions, and a threat to our national security.”
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) was the first to jump to Omar&#8217;s defense, claiming a few weeks ago that it was about principle.
&#8220;I’m not going to support it,” Mace said. &#8220;I try to be consistent in my values … regardless of who’s in charge.&#8221;
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) signaled this week that she does not support removing Omar from Foreign Affairs.
“Two wrongs do not make a right,” Spartz wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “Speaker Pelosi took unprecedented actions last Congress to remove Reps. Greene and Gosar from their committees without proper due process. Speaker McCarthy is taking unprecedented actions this Congress to deny some committee assignments to the Minority without proper due process again.”
“As I spoke against it on the House floor two years ago, I will not support this charade again,” she claimed. “Speaker McCarthy needs to stop ‘bread and circuses’ in Congress and start governing for a change.”
Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) said that he was not a fan of the move, but he stopped short of saying that he would oppose it.
“I’ve never been a fan of that. Members are elected by their districts,&#8221; he said. &#8220;To throw them off just seems inappropriate.”

Two Republicans Defend Far-Left Democrat Ilhan Omar After She Is Removed From Committee

Nancy Mace

Victoria Spartz

Former Trump administration official <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-pompeo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Pompeo</a> accused Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/adam-schiff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Schiff</a> (D-CA) of leaking classified information.
The fresh allegation was made after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-formally-kicks-schiff-and-swalwell-from-house-intel-integrity-matters-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocked Schiff&#8217;s appointment</a> to remain on the House Intelligence Committee, where he served as chairman for the last four years.
&#8220;During my time as CIA director and secretary of state, I know that he leaked classified information that had been provided to him,&#8221; Pompeo said on Fox News on Wednesday.
Pompeo did not offer specifics, but he insisted the problem was bad enough to restrict what he shared with Congress.
Underscoring what a serious charge that is, &#8220;Outnumbered&#8221; co-host Emily Compagno pressed Pompeo on why there hasn&#8217;t been accountability if such leaks would be &#8220;a felony at minimum, up to treason.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s a complicated process, right? It&#8217;s difficult to pin down precisely what happened,&#8221; Pompeo said. &#8220;But I could tell you that when we provided information to him and to his staff, it ended up in places it shouldn&#8217;t have been with alarming regularity. We could see it. In the end, I decided, I held back information from them as a result.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
MIKE POMPEO: &quot;The fact that&#8230;Schiff was the Chairman of the&#8230;Intelligence Committee almost ruined that committee&#8230;Schiff should be nowhere near serving on the Intelligence Committee. I don&#39;t think he should be seeing classified information.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3A0iwMc3Dq">pic.twitter.com/3A0iwMc3Dq</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1618335125707829248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire reached out to Schiff&#8217;s office for comment on Pompeo&#8217;s claims. “This is another patently false and defamatory statement from Mike Pompeo. While we understand that Adam Schiff is a favorite target for the failed lackeys of the Trump administration running for president, reputable news outlets shouldn’t repeat these falsehoods,” Schiff spokesperson Lauren French <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3830797-pompeo-accuses-schiff-of-leaking-classified-information/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Hill</a>.
Schiff has <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/adam-schiff-says-he-hasnt-leaked-classified-info-but-cant-speak-for-other-house-intel-democrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied leaking classified information</a> in the past. &#8220;I haven&#8217;t. My staff hasn&#8217;t,” he told CNN in 2020 before offering the caveat: &#8220;I can&#8217;t speak for what all the members of the committee have done or not done, including a lot of the Republican members.&#8221;
Pompeo isn&#8217;t the first intelligence leader in the Trump administration to accuse Schiff of leaking classified information. In January 2021, former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell claimed Schiff and his team <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/grenell-schiff-classified-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;regularly&#8221; leaked</a> classified information.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) suggested to conservative commentator Lisa Boothe in April 2021 that Schiff <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/tom-cotton-adam-schiff-potential-source-russian-bounties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could be a source for dubious reports</a> on Russia offering bounties to Afghan militants to kill U.S. troops. Schiff spokesman Patrick Boland shot back with a brief response to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/tom-cotton-adam-schiff-potential-source-russian-bounties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Washington Examiner</a> at the time, &#8220;Yet another false and baseless claim by Tom Cotton — you would think he would know better by now.&#8221;
McCarthy kicked Schiff, along with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), from the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday. McCarthy had long accused Schiff of being a repeat liar, particularly with investigations related to former President Donald Trump. During his interview with Fox News, Pompeo also called Schiff a liar and praised McCarthy for removing him from the panel.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) nominated Schiff to the committee over the weekend, calling him &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-leader-picks-schiff-and-swalwell-for-intel-panel-in-defiance-of-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eminently qualified</a>.&#8221; After he was blocked, Schiff responded by claiming McCarthy&#8217;s move was &#8220;petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump.&#8221;
Also on Tuesday, Schiff talked about how he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schiff-claims-he-never-took-classified-docs-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">too &#8220;paranoid&#8221;</a> to take any classified information to his house while serving on the House Intelligence Committee. &#8220;This is what’s so astounding, I think, for all of us on the Intelligence Committee. I never take classified documents to my house,&#8221; Schiff told MSNBC&#8217;s Andrea Mitchell, who asked if he had taken any records home. &#8220;I don’t know any reason why people would,&#8221; Schiff added.
The conversation happened as it was revealed about a dozen documents marked classified were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-classified-documents-found-at-former-vp-mike-pences-home-in-indiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found at former Vice President Mike Pence’s home</a> in Indiana and turned over to the FBI. The Justice Department already appointed two separate special counsels to investigate former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden for their handling of classified materials stored in their residences and offices.

Former CIA Director Accuses Schiff Of Leaking Classified Information

Mike Pompeo

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) slammed a reporter Tuesday evening who pressed him over his decision to keep Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) off the Intelligence Committee.
McCarthy made the remarks when asked a question comparing the treatment of Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who is embroiled in a scandal over false claims that he made about his past, to his decision to not place Schiff and Swalwell on the committee.
&#8220;Let me be clear and respectful to you. You ask me a question. When I answer it, it&#8217;s the answer to your question,&#8221; McCarthy began. &#8220;You don&#8217;t get to determine whether I answer your question or not.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerMcCarthy</a> to reporter: Let me be very clear &amp; respectful to you. You ask me a question when I answer it it&#39;s the answer to your question. You don&#39;t get to determine whether I answer a question or not, okay? In all respect&#8230;what happens in the Intel Cmte you don&#39;t know. <a href="https://t.co/WD57QB7m1v">pic.twitter.com/WD57QB7m1v</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1618059285094666240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>KEVIN MCCARTHY, HOUSE SPEAKER (R): He&#8217;s got elected by his district. Let me be clear and respectful to you. You ask me a question. When I answer it, it&#8217;s the answer to your question. You don&#8217;t get to determine whether I answer your question or not. Okay, always, thank you. Let&#8217;s answer her question.
You just raised a question, I&#8217;m gonna be very clear with you, the Intel Committee is different. You know why, because what happens in the Intel Committee, you don&#8217;t know what happens in the Intel Committee of the the secrets are going on in the world. Other Members of Congress don&#8217;t know. What did Adam Schiff do with the Chairman of the Intel Committee? What Adam Schiff did is use his power as a Chairman and lied to the American public, even the Inspector General said it. When Devin Nunes put out a memo, he said it was false. When we had a laptop. He used it before an election to be politics, and say that it was false and said it was the Russians when he knew when he knew the intel. If you talk to John Radcliffe, DNI, he came out ahead of time and says there&#8217;s no Intel to prove that and he used his position as chairman, knowing he has information the rest of America does not and lied to the American public.
When a whistleblower came forward. He said he did not know the individual even though his staff had met with him and set it up, so no, he does not have a right to sit on that. But I will not be like Democrats and play politics, where they removed Republicans from committees and all committees. He can serve on a committee, but he will not serve on intel because it proves to the national security of America and I will always put them first, alright.
And if you want to talk about Swalwell, let&#8217;s talk about Swalwell. Because you could not have the briefing that I had. I had the briefing and Nancy Pelosi had that briefing from the FBI. The FBI never came before this Congress to tell the leadership of this Congress that Eric Swalwell had a problem with the Chinese spy, until he served on Intel. So it wasn&#8217;t just us who are concerned, the FBI was concerned about putting a member of Congress on the Intel Committee that has the rights to see things that others don&#8217;t because of his knowledge and relationship with a Chinese spy. They brought it to the works of the leaders. I&#8217;ve got that briefing. So I do not believe he should sit on that committee.
And I believe there&#8217;s 200 other Democrats that can serve on that committee. So this has nothing to do with Santos. Santos is not on the Intel Committee, but you know what, those voters elected Schiff, and those voters elected Swalwell even though he lied to the American public too. So in all respect to his voters too, they will serve on committees, but they will not serve on a place that has national security relevance because integrity matters to me.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-formally-kicks-schiff-and-swalwell-from-house-intel-integrity-matters-more">McCarthy Formally Kicks Schiff And Swalwell From House Intel: ‘Integrity Matters More’</a>

Speaker McCarthy Shreds Reporter Over Question About Adam Schiff And Eric Swalwell

Former House Speaker <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/nancy-pelosi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nancy Pelosi</a> (D-CA) disclosed a sale of 30,000 shares in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/google" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google&#8217;s</a> parent company, Alphabet, roughly one month before the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justice Department</a> opened an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/antitrust" target="_blank" rel="noopener">antitrust</a> lawsuit into the technology firm.
Federal regulators <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/justice-department-sues-google-for-alleged-digital-advertising-monopoly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> in the Tuesday complaint that Google monopolizes the tools website publishers use to sell advertisements and that companies utilize to purchase advertisements. Pelosi, who resigned from her leadership position but remains a member of Congress, sold 10,000 shares of Alphabet Class A stock on December 20, December 21, and December 28, according to federal <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/ptr-pdfs/2023/20022260.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disclosures</a>, marking a combined transaction value between $1.5 million and $3 million. The disclosures were digitally signed by the lawmaker on January 12.
Although shares for Google have increased roughly 8% over the past month, the company’s stock price declined some 6% this week as news of the antitrust lawsuit became public.
Officials claimed that Google has engaged in a “pattern of acquisitions to obtain control over key digital advertising tools” and has manipulated auctions to “deprive rivals of scale.” Such moves may violate the Sherman Act, which outlaws “monopolization, attempted monopolization, or conspiracy or combination to monopolize” deemed <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/advice-guidance/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws/antitrust-laws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unreasonable</a> by the court system. Google said in a statement that the Justice Department lawsuit attempts to “pick winners and losers” in the “highly competitive” advertising technology space.
Pelosi and her husband, Paul, have been repeatedly accused of leveraging insider knowledge that the veteran lawmaker holds in order to increase earnings in the stock market. The filing also revealed that the top Democrat sold shares of Netflix, PayPal, Salesforce, Tesla, and Disney.
Paul Pelosi appeared to have cut losses in software company Nvidia last year before the United States placed new restrictions on computer chip sales to China and Russia. He sold 25,000 shares of Nvidia on July 26 at an average price of $165.05, causing a loss of $341,365, according to a set of <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/ptr-pdfs/2022/20021438.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disclosures</a>. One month later, Nvidia revealed that the government imposed export restrictions on the company’s A100 and forthcoming H100 circuits. The new regulations will “address the risk that the covered products may be used in, or diverted to, a ‘military end use’ or ‘military end user’ in China and Russia,” Nvidia said in a regulatory <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001045810/000104581022000146/nvda-20220826.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a>.
The couple has also placed stock market bets in the middle of heated policy debates in Congress. In 2021, Paul Pelosi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosis-husband-makes-big-tech-stock-moves-again-places-6-million-bet-as-congress-looks-to-rein-in-silicon-valley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bought</a> over $6 million in options contracts related to technology stocks while lawmakers worked on antitrust legislation.
Asset purchases from members of Congress and their immediate families amounted to $267 million in 2021, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sat-members-of-congress-and-their-families-traded-over-630-million-in-stocks-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the New York Times’ DealBook, while sales amounted to $364 million. Officials working at the Federal Reserve have also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-ethics-review-fed-bars-top-officials-from-trading-individual-stocks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced criticism</a> for purchasing individual stocks amid their work to chart the nation’s monetary policy.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-hawleys-insider-trading-bill-returns-to-congress-under-new-title-pelosi-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments Act, also known as the PELOSI Act, in order to address the phenomenon of lawmakers using inside information to benefit financially. The legislation would ban politicians from holding individual stocks, diversified mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds. “For too long, politicians in Washington have taken advantage of the economic system they write the rules for, turning profits for themselves at the expense of the American people,” Hawley said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/abigailmarone/status/1617934984568012800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>.

Pelosis Dumped Google Stock Weeks Before Justice Department Unveiled Antitrust Lawsuit

Menu