WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following President Donald Trump’s abrupt tariffs pause that raised alarming questions about potential violations of federal ethics and insider trading laws, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and other members of congress sent a bicameral letter today to White House Chief of Staff, Susan Wiles, urgently demanding a full accounting of periodic financial transaction reports filed by senior White House and executive branch employees since the start of the Trump Administration.
In the letter, the lawmakers urged Wiles to commit to ensuring that all transaction reports are transmitted to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) to be made public, as is required by law and was done during the first Trump Administration. They also requested that any extensions granted to White House employees be made public immediately and that the White House provide a detailed plan for how the Administration will address any potential violations of reporting requirements.
“Since President Trump announced his decision to abruptly change tariff policies on April 9, 2025, which caused significant fluctuations in financial markets and generated volatility for U.S. pension funds and retirement savings, newly identified data raises concerns about potential violations of federal ethics and insider trading laws by individuals close to the President with access to non-public information. In particular, reports surfaced that unidentified options traders placed bets worth millions of dollars that the market would rebound just minutes before President Trump’s 1:18 PM announcement via Truth Social that he would be pausing most of the sweeping tariffs he had announced days prior. Relatedly, we are deeply concerned about reporting of call volume spikes minutes before the President’s public announcement of his change in tariff policies,” wrote the lawmakers.
“We therefore urgently request a full accounting of the periodic transaction reports for all senior White House and executive branch employees since the start of the Administration, and we ask for your commitment to transmit all reports to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) to be made public, as was done during the first Trump Administration,” continued the lawmakers.
“By failing to take these steps, the Administration would be withholding critical information from the American people regarding potential violations of federal ethics and insider trading laws. We look forward to reviewing all required reports and disclosures,” the lawmakers concluded.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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