by Micaela Burrow
Members of Congress raked in profits from defense contractor stocks after voting to send billions in military aid to Ukraine, according to financial disclosures and voting records reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Congress approved more than $20 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine between Jan. 24, a month before Russia invaded, and Nov. 20, including $12.7 billion in direct drawdowns from existing U.S. weapons stocks, according to data compiled by the Council on Foreign Relations. To make up for that aid, top defense companies have boosted production, and lawmakers trading on company stocks saw a financial windfall as a result, according to publicly available stock trading data.
Overall, Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer (picture above, middle) of Oregon netted the highest average returns on defense company stocks since 2021 at 40%, according to a chart published Tuesday by Unusual Whales, a site known for exposing how members of Congress profit from trading related to legislative issues. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (pictured above, right) of Georgia, who has voted against Ukraine aid, was the top Republican at 35.5%.
While unforeseen demand has left top weapons makers, like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman, scrambling to meet production targets, defense stocks are performing well overall, according to Investopedia.
Republican Florida Rep. John Rutherford (pictured above, left) and Blumenauer each bought up to $15,000 in Raytheon stock the day of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24. Rutherford claimed in his disclosure that his advisers erroneously purchased the stock, and it was sold on March 14 for a 3% gain, according to Unusual Whales.
Rutherford, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Blumenauer voted for a $40 billion supplemental military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine passed in May, the Congressional Record shows.
Former Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa sold Lockheed Martin stock for a profit in November, after voting in favor not only of the May supplemental package, but also for a September emergency funding bill that authorized an additional $12 billion for Ukraine and the omnibus spending bill passed in December, which includes an additional $45 billion in Ukraine aid, according to the Congressional Record.
Lawmakers voted with the majority of their party on those measures, with all Democrats supporting the continuing resolution in September and all but one voting yea on the omnibus bill, Business Insider reported.
Democratic Rep. Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania also reported a Raytheon sale in November from stock purchased before the war, meaning he voted for the funding bills while having a stake in a top-selling defense company.
Republican West Virginia Rep. Carol Miller’s spouse bought General Dynamics stock in July 2021 and has not disclosed a sale, so Miller’s spouse may have held that stock while the representative voted in favor of the May package. Republican Utah Rep. John Curtis, who also voted to send more aid, has not disclosed a sale since purchasing up to $15,000 in Raytheon in June 2021.
Democratic Virginia Rep. Gerald Connolly, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), sold up to $50,000 in assets from defense information technology firm Leidos in August 2022 after slowly offloading stocks throughout 2021. Connolly co-sponsored a House initiative to send military aid to Ukraine days after Russia invaded, meaning he held Leidos stocks while advocating to supersize U.S. military support abroad.
HFAC member and Democratic North Carolina Rep. Kathy Manning’s spouse held Lockheed Martin stocks while she supported that same resolution, and later in 2022 she revealed that either she or her husband held stock in Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and defense IT company L3Harris. Manning’s spouse sold Raytheon stock on Oct. 12 after Manning voted in favor of the September continuing resolution.
Democratic Florida Rep. Lois Frankel purchased Northrop Grumman stock twice in 2021 and sold it on March 9, 2022 at a profit.
Republican Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer sold up to $100,000 in Lockheed Martin stock in June of 2022.
Republican Utah Rep. Blake Moore likely holds stock in several major defense companies and voted for the $40 billion assistance in May.
Senate Armed Services Committee member Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama purchased up to $15,000 in Northrop Grumman stocks on March 30 and sold them on Oct. 5 for a 6.9% gain, Unusual Whales found. Tuberville voted against the May package.
Tuberville “has long had financial advisors who actively manage his portfolio without his day-to-day involvement,” a spokesperson for the senator told the DCNF.
Greene purchased up to $15,000 in Lockheed Martin stocks two days prior to Russia’s invasion.
“War and rumors of war is incredibly profitable and convenient,” she remarked the following day. “Just like that, the media now has a lie to use as the reason for our shattered economy and out of control inflation.”
However, Greene has emerged as one of the strongest voices against Congress’ plans to offer mountains of financial support to Ukraine and voted with Tuberville against the May package.
Republican Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma purchased Raytheon and Lockheed Martin stocks twice in 2022, filings show,although he also voted against Ukraine aid. Hern does not have day-to-day control over his stock trading, a spokesperson told the DCNF.
The offices of Blumenauer, Connolly, Curtis, Evans, Fischer, Frankel, Greene, Manning, Miller, Moore and Rutherford did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment. Axne could not be reached for comment.
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Micaela Burrow is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
