Treasury Secretary Slams Stock Trades By Democrats: “Every Hedge Fund Would Be Jealous”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is calling out Democrats like Susie Lee for her shady stock trades, blasting the congresswoman’s record of profiting off her office while Nevada families struggle with skyrocketing costs.

In remarks this week, Bessent condemned Lee’s prolific trading, declaring that “every hedge fund would be jealous” of her returns. He called for a ban on single-stock trading by Members of Congress, saying bluntly: “The American people deserve better than this.”

For Nevada voters, Bessent’s criticism underscores a pattern that watchdog groups have been warning about for years: Susie Lee’s time in Congress has been less about serving the public and more about serving herself.

Lee was already under fire in 2020, when she and her husband—then a casino executive—dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock holdings just days before Congress passed pandemic relief legislation that would affect the gaming and hospitality industries.

The trades raised red flags with ethics watchdogs, who noted that they appeared to have been made using nonpublic information. The House Ethics Committee launched a review, and Lee was forced to admit that she failed to disclose several trades on time—a direct violation of the STOCK Act’s transparency requirements.

While Lee tried to brush off the scandal, Nevadans were left wondering why their congresswoman was cashing in while her constituents were losing jobs, paychecks, and retirement savings during the COVID-19 crisis.

Bessent’s criticism places Lee in the same league as House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who has become notorious for amassing a fortune from congressional stock trading. Like Pelosi, Lee has treated her elected office as a platform to play the markets and pad her wealth—while ordinary Americans get hammered by inflation, rising interest rates, and stagnant wages.

“Pretty soon, Lee and other prolific traders like Nancy Pelosi, who’s become filthy rich off of stock trading in Congress, [their] days of profiting off their office will be over,” Bessent warned.

Republicans blasted Lee’s latest brush with scandal as proof she’s lost touch with the people she represents.

“Instead of trying to deliver for the American people, out of touch Democrat Susie Lee has chosen to spend her time in Congress trying to line her own pockets,” said NRCC Spokesman Christian Martinez. “Thanks to Secretary Bessent, Lee won’t have a choice for much longer.”

While Lee racks up suspiciously “hedge-fund-level” stock returns, Nevadans are left struggling with the highest gas prices in the nation, skyrocketing housing costs, and an economy still reeling from inflation.

The contrast could not be sharper: Lee is using her seat in Congress to enrich herself, while the families she represents are left paying the price for her party’s reckless spending and failed policies. With Secretary Bessent and reform-minded lawmakers pushing to finally end congressional stock trading, Lee’s gravy train may be coming to an end. But voters don’t have to wait for Washington to act—they can send their own message at the ballot box.

Nevada families deserve leaders who will fight for them, not their stock portfolios.

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