Throw out all those hoary old maxims about avoiding even the appearance of impropriety. From Tyler Durden at zerohedge.com:
Despite a populist grassroots movement seeking to ban Congress members from trading stocks, one which has attracted bipartisan political support, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – arguably one of the most prolific Congressional traders – said two weeks ago that lawmakers should be allowed to make trades while serving.
“We’re a free market economy,” Pelosi told reporters during a news conference. “They should be able to participate in that.”
Pelosi’s statement came days after progressive New Yorker, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, reiterated her support for banning lawmakers from the practice. Ocasio-Cortez and other members of Congress argue that lawmakers have access to information the public is not privy to and the ability to write and pass policy, they should abstain from buying and selling individual stock and other assets. She and other lawmakers support members of Congress investing in index funds.
“I choose not to hold any so I can remain impartial about policy making,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Instagram.
Pelosi’s statement also came in the wake of a series of scandals involving federal lawmakers, Fed and government officials making suspect trades throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
STRAIGHT LINE LOGIC 