During a tumultuous phase in the stock market, instigated by stringent tariffs enacted by then-President Donald Trump, Representative Jared Moskowitz was active in the marketplace. On April 7, Representative Moskowitz initiated the purchase of numerous stocks, valued broadly between $23,023 and $345,000. The same day, he liquidated a pair of his stock holdings, projecting an estimated value between $2,002 and $30,000. This proved to be his busiest day trading in the month of April, during which he executed 35 financial transactions; this information was disclosed in a mandatory report submitted to the Clerk of the House.
Representative Moskowitz outdid his previous transaction records for that quarter on this singular day. However, due to the wide value ranges stated in the congressional financial disclosure forms, it’s challenging to ascertain the exact amounts dealt by Moskowitz or any other congressman. Nonetheless, there’s zero implication that Moskowitz engaged in any illicit activities; he merely appears to be a shrewd investor.
Stock trading activities undertaken by congress members, which require post-trade disclosures, frequently draw public scrutiny. Maureen O’Toole, a spokesperson representing the House Republican campaign organization, didn’t shy away from voicing her thoughts about Representative Moskowitz. She criticized the Democrat for attempting to ‘grab attention and feather his nest’ rather than dedicating his efforts towards serving Floridians.
Interestingly, Moskowitz seems to be the sole congressional representative from either Broward or Palm Beach County to report trades during this particularly volatile period in early April. The legislation demands that congressional members disclose their transactions within a 30 to 45-day window. However, no local lawmakers had issued any disclosures by the next Friday morning.
Notably, it was this day when then-President Trump amplified the prevailing tension by professing his intention to impose additional Chinese tariffs and refusing to retard the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs. This sent the markets into a tailspin, which was later tempered by policy reversals. Yet, Moskowitz’s transactions seem to have been well timed as the market largely recuperated from the falls experienced in April.
Providing insights into the matter, a spokesperson for Moskowitz clarified that the trades were not managed personally by the congressman. Instead, they were overseen by an external independent financial advisor who manages all of Moskowitz’s stock dealings. In accordance, the congressman maintains no personal involvement in the execution of these trades.
An argument could be made that Moskowitz was ‘buying the dip’—acquiring stocks while they were low in price with the surety that their value will bounce back over time. The disclosure document reveals that Moskowitz invested in a diverse array of stocks, ranging from technology and pharmaceutical sectors to industrial companies.
Among his purchases on April 7 were prominent corporations such as Amazon, Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin, NVIDIA Oracle, Pepsico, Sherwin Williams, and Visa. In parallel to procuring these assets, he let go of his shares in Lincoln Electric Holdings and NextEra Energy.
Remarkably, Moskowitz is among the few representatives who are actively endorsing a cross-party legislation. This proposed law mandates that congressional members, together with their spouses and dependents, liquidate their individual stock holdings or transfer their investments into a qualified blind trust during their term in office.
The fundamental goal of this proposition is to prevent lawmakers from capitalizing on their privileged access to insider information. Such measures are deemed necessary to enshrine a sense of accountability and fairness in conducting financial transactions, ensuring that public office isn’t misused for personal financial advantage.