The Numbers Tell a Story
Imagine sitting at your kitchen table, paying bills and juggling your family budget. Now imagine having the power to buy and sell over $10 million in stocks while making laws that could affect those same companies. That’s what Rep. Susie Lee, Nevada Democrat, has been doing since taking office in 2019.
Lee reported a whopping $10.52 million in stock trades during her time in Congress. Her spokesperson claimed her trading activity changed after her divorce from casino CEO Daniel Lee was finalized in 2024. But recent reports show she’s still very active in the market. Her financial disclosures show she’s worth between $8 million and $21 million.
Meanwhile, the law says members of Congress can trade stocks as long as they report trades over $1,000 within 45 days. This includes stocks owned by their spouse or children.
Latest Trading Report Shows Active Market Participation
A March 2025 transaction report from Rep. Lee shows she remains actively trading stocks right now. In February and March 2025, she sold shares of Full House Resorts, Inc. – the casino company formerly run by her ex-husband – in four separate transactions, with the most recent sale occurring on March 12, 2025.
Each sale was valued between $15,001 and $50,000, potentially totaling as much as $200,000. All four transactions were listed as “partial” sales from her Fidelity Investments brokerage account.
This directly contradicts her spokesperson’s earlier claims that she would be moving her holdings into funds rather than individual stocks. The report was digitally signed by Lee herself on March 14, 2025, certifying that her disclosures were “true, complete, and correct.”
Democrat Nevada State Rep Susie Lee is making a MASSIVE amount of stock trades
– Nancy Pelosi has made 180 trades
– Democrat Katherine Clark made 771 trades
– Susie Lee has traded stocks 1,268 TIMES
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) March 16, 2025
War Weapons Stock Purchase Raises Eyebrows
While Lee has been selling casino stocks, another investment is raising serious questions about potential conflicts of interest. In May 2024, Lee’s financial disclosure showed she purchased stock in Rheinmetall AG, a German arms manufacturer. The timing is particularly concerning given Lee’s position on the House Subcommittee on Military Construction.
That investment has paid off handsomely. Rheinmetall stock (RNMBY) has surged more than 132% since Lee’s purchase last year. The stock recently jumped another 6% in a single day’s trading.
Lee’s investment even caught the attention of prominent stock trader Dave Portnoy, who reportedly followed her lead by investing $500,000 in the same company.
This highlights the very problem many limited government advocates worry about – lawmakers using their privileged positions and inside knowledge to make profitable stock trades that average Americans cannot.
Another 6%+ day for Rheinmetall$RNMBY is the German war weapons manufacturer that Susie Lee bought while sitting on the House Subcommittee on Military Construction
The stock is now +132% since her buy last year
It’s also the trade Dave Portnoy tailed with $500K https://t.co/R1m6M1Jq0v pic.twitter.com/eYNuJHfIu1
— Nancy Pelosi Stock Tracker ♟ (@PelosiTracker_) March 12, 2025
Why This Matters to Conservatives
For folks who believe in limited government, this is a big deal. Here’s why:
When elected officials are busy growing their stock portfolios, they’re not focused on serving the people who sent them to Washington. It’s like hiring a house painter who spends half the day working on someone else’s home.
The whole setup smells fishy. Members of Congress get information the rest of us don’t have. They sit on committees that make rules for the very companies they invest in. The more special advantages government officials have, the less they represent everyday Americans.
Other Nevada Politicians and Their Stocks
Senator Jacky Rosen is the only other Nevada federal lawmaker with a history of trading stocks. She’s worth about $14.66 million but hasn’t bought new stocks since taking office. Her office says she “does not actively trade individual stocks.”
Both Rosen and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto have backed bills to ban members of Congress from trading stocks.
What Critics Are Saying
Those on the left and right agree this is a problem.
Delaney Marsco from the Campaign Legal Center said congressional stock trading raises serious questions about whether members of congress are acting in the public’s interest or in their own financial interest.
Marsco said:
“They have a lot of access to information that the rest of us simply just don’t have,”
Some lawmakers defend their right to trade. Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas complained that Congress hasn’t gotten a raise since 2008.
He said in a November 2024 Free Press interview:
“So sure, why not? Don’t let us trade stocks. We’ll just keep whipping ourselves. How about we don’t make any money either? Let’s just cut our paycheck. We haven’t got a pay raise since 2008,”
What Might Happen Next
The good news is that most Americans want this fixed. A University of Maryland study found 87% of Republicans and 88% of Democrats support banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
Several bills have been introduced to stop the practice, including the Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act and the TRUST in Congress Act. So far, none have passed.
What You Can Do
If you believe in limited government and equal rules for everyone, here’s how you can help:
- Call your representatives and tell them to support bans on congressional stock trading.
- Ask candidates about their position on this issue before you vote.
- Follow the money by checking websites that track congressional stock trades.
Remember, a government that plays by the same rules as its citizens is more likely to respect the limits on its power that our founders intended.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
