No. of Recommendations: 8
He's just another Republican sleaze bag. But, boy, does he know how to grift and cheat, just like his boss.
The term "insider trading" is a serious legal allegation, and while Senator Markwayne Mullin has not been charged with a crime, he has faced significant public scrutiny and ethics complaints regarding his stock market activity.
The controversy generally falls into three categories: timing of trades relative to government actions, delayed disclosures (violations of the STOCK Act), and conflicts of interest regarding his committee assignments.
1. Most Recent Controversy: Defense and Energy Trades (2026)
In March 2026, reports surfaced regarding profitable stock purchases Mullin made just days before major U.S. military actions.
• The Trades: Five days before the U.S. military entered Venezuela to depose Nicolás Maduro, Mullin purchased stock in RTX Corp. (formerly Raytheon), a major defense contractor, as well as oil companies Chevron and ConocoPhillips.
• The Allegation: Critics, including reports from The Daily Beast and Truthout, pointed out that as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mullin was privy to classified briefings regarding military planning.
• The Outcome: Following the military action and subsequent conflict in Iran, these stocks saw significant gains (Conoco up ~30%, Chevron ~26%). Mullin reportedly earned over $35,000 from these three investments alone—roughly 20% of his annual Senate salary.
2. Failure to Disclose Trades (STOCK Act Violations)
The STOCK Act requires members of Congress to disclose trades within 45 days. Mullin has a history of significant delays in these filings:
• The 2.5-Year Delay: In July 2025, Mullin disclosed a series of trades that had actually occurred in January 2023.
• The Stocks: These included companies like Fabrinet (up 134% by the time of disclosure) and Hubbell Inc.
• The Consequence: Because the disclosure was over two years late, Mullin was flagged for violating federal law. However, the standard penalty for such a violation is typically a small fine (around $200), which critics argue is an insufficient deterrent.
3. Conflicts of Interest and DHS Nomination
As of March 2026, Mullin is President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This has brought his portfolio under renewed fire:
• Direct Conflicts: Research by Public Citizen shows Mullin holds shares in at least six companies (Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, RTX, L3Harris, and VSE Corporation) that hold multi-million dollar contracts with the DHS.
• Ethical Concerns: Watchdog groups argue that as DHS Secretary, Mullin would be in a position to influence the very contracts that increase the value of his personal holdings.
4. Older Allegations: Innate Immunotherapeutics (2017/2018)
Mullin was one of several congressmen who invested in an Australian biotech firm, Innate Immunotherapeutics, at the same time as Congressman Chris Collins (who was later convicted of insider trading).
• While Collins was found to have tipped off family members about failed drug trials, Mullin maintained that he did his own research and did not sell his shares before the stock crashed, eventually losing money on the investment. He was never charged in that investigation.
