A non-partisan ethics watchdog organization demanded an investigation into Democrat Sen. John Hickenlooper’s (D-CO) stock transactions after he allegedly failed to disclose numerous stock transactions done by his spouse between March and November 2021 in the timeframe required by federal law.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a complaint with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics asking for it to “immediately investigate” Hickenlooper’s spouse’s stock transactions after he failed to disclose numerous transactions from March and November of 2021, valued at up to $1.3 million, which he finally reported on May 16.
Some reported late stock transactions were Liberty Media Corporation, Liberty Broadband Corporation, and Qurate Retail, Inc. In fact, the ethics watchdog noted that two of the transactions reported this May were over a year old by the time he reported them.
Like every lawmaker, the senator must submit a periodic transaction report within 30 to 45 days of stock transactions over $1,000 made on behalf of themselves or their spouses under the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012.
The complaint explained that Hickenlooper not reporting the stocks in the timeframe required by federal law is a “clear violation of federal law and Senate ethics rules” and is an “egregious case” due to the long delay in reporting.
The complaint added:
The laws must be strictly followed in order to reveal whether a Senator has used non-public information for profit or whether his official actions were altered in order to benefit his personal investments. When disclosures are this late it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to determine whether a Senator had a conflict of interest and the law becomes ineffective. Senators are well aware of their duty to comply with the law and have an affirmative duty to do so.
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics must act to ensure Senators comply with the most basic ethics requirements to maintain the public’s trust. Senator Hickenlooper’s stock trades and any failure to comply with federal law must be investigated and appropriate sanctions imposed. Thank you for your time.
FACT’s Executive Director, Kendra Arnold, slammed the senator in a statement:
Sen. Hickenlooper’s failure to file timely reports of stock trades is inexcusable. Senators are fully aware of the reporting requirements which are necessary for transparency and accountability. Late disclosures erode public trust and create a sense that Senators do not have to abide by federal law and ethics rules. I hope the Senate Select Committee on Ethics will move swiftly to deter this behavior and assess the proper penalties.
In 2012, Congress quickly passed the STOCK Act and signed it into law it received substantial bipartisan support in both chambers. The legislation was introduced and promptly signed into law thanks to Breitbart News senior contributor Peter Schweizer, who in 2011 released Throw Them All Out, exposing corruption in the highest echelons of elected life.
Schweizer’s book, which exposed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and many others, revealed corruption concerns among Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, forcing Congress into adopting the STOCK Act that implemented stricter reporting and ethics requirements.
A full copy of the FACT’s complaint against Hickenlooper can be found here.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
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