"AOC: Democrats in Congress 'Doing Insider Trading,' People 'Think Everyday People Are Stupid'"

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has accused members of her own party in Congress of engaging in insider trading, stating that "people think that everyday people are stupid." In an interview with Jon Stewart on The Weekly Show, Ocasio-Cortez discussed the hypocrisy she sees in her party regarding stock trading by members of Congress.

Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that there is an "insane amount of hypocrisy" on both sides of the aisle when it comes to stock trading by members of Congress. She argued that the public is not fooled by the actions of lawmakers who trade stocks while in office. "The hypocrisy is what gets exploited to use the cynicism and wherever there’s a hypocritical window," she said.

The New York lawmaker has been a vocal critic of insider trading by members of Congress, including those in her own party. In the past, she has called for stricter regulations on stock trading by lawmakers and their families. Ocasio-Cortez has also criticized former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for her husband's stock trading activities, arguing that this example highlights the need for more regulations.

Ocasio-Cortez's comments come amid ongoing investigations into the stock trading activities of several members of Congress, including Republican Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA). Burr was investigated by the Department of Justice in 2021 for allegedly violating federal insider trading laws by selling more than $1.6 million in stocks months after attending a confidential briefing about the incoming COVID-19 outbreak. Loeffler was criticized for selling millions of dollars worth of shares before the stock market tanked over fears of the contagion.

Ocasio-Cortez's remarks also follow a bipartisan effort to introduce legislation that would ban members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from trading individual stocks. The Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act, sponsored by Reps. Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), aims to block members of Congress from trading stocks while in office.

The bill would give members 90 days to divest their stock holdings, with House ethics officials giving prior approval to any blind trust. Similar legislation has failed to pass in the past, but the recent flurry of trades by members of Congress has renewed calls for stricter regulations on stock trading by lawmakers.

In conclusion, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has accused members of her own party in Congress of engaging in insider trading, stating that the public is not fooled by the actions of lawmakers who trade stocks while in office. Her comments come amid ongoing investigations into the stock trading activities of several members of Congress and a bipartisan effort to introduce legislation that would ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks.