There’s been a lot going on throughout the holiday break. Here’s what you may have missed in Georgia:
Over the holiday, the Associated Press reported that Senator Perdue made a “stunning” financial gain by first selling off millions in Cardlytics stocks, a financial tech company based in Georgia where he previously served as a Board Member, right before the company’s value plummeted. The Georgia Senator then went on to buy back stocks after Cardlytics’ “unexpected leadership shakeup.” This bombshell investigation comes on the heels of David Perdue’s growing number of stock trading scandals that point to him having further enriched himself.
“David Perdue represents everything people hate about the culture of corruption in Washington. His stock trading scandals are quickly becoming his signature issue in the Senate,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “While Senator Perdue continues to be the poster boy of Washington corruption, Jon Ossoff is fighting to restore faith in democracy and prioritize Georgians’ needs.”
Perdue has been embroiled in many corruption scandals throughout his time in Congress, including trying to secure bigger tax breaks for wealthy sports team owners and rewarding his special interest donors with special access through a donor program called “The Boardroom.”
See below for all of the media attention on Perdue’s corrupt stock trading scandals:
Associated Press: Ga. Sen. Perdue boosts wealth with well-timed stock trades
As the ravages of the novel coronavirus forced millions of people out of work, shuttered businesses and shrank the value of retirement accounts, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged to a three-year low. But for Sen. David Perdue, a Georgia Republican, the crisis last March signaled something else: a stock buying opportunity.
The Daily Beast: Sen. Perdue Insisted He Had No Input At All On Stock Buys. New Evidence Shows He Did.
Earlier this year, Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) personally directed his wealth adviser to sell off $1 million worth of stock in a financial company before its share price cratered, The New York Times reported on Wednesday—a finding that flies in the face of Perdue’s repeated insistence that he has no input whatsoever over his considerable investment portfolio.
The Daily Beast: Sen. Perdue Helped Defense Contractor—and Sold Off Its Stock
Right before he was put in charge of a powerful Senate subcommittee with jurisdiction over the U.S. Navy, Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) began buying up stock in a company that made submarine parts. And once he began work on a bill that ultimately directed additional Navy funding for one of the firm’s specialized products, Perdue sold off the stock, earning him tens of thousands of dollars in profits.
New York Times: Stock Trades by Senator Perdue Said to Have Prompted Justice Dept. Inquiry
Early this year, Senator David Perdue, Republican of Georgia, sold more than $1 million worth of stock in the financial company Cardlytics, where he once served on the board… The Cardlytics transactions drew the attention this spring of investigators at the Justice Department, who were undertaking a broad review of the senator’s prolific trading around the outset of the coronavirus pandemic for possible evidence of insider trading, according to four people with knowledge of the case who described aspects of it on the condition of anonymity.
CNN: New York Times: Justice Department probed Georgia Sen. David Perdue’s stock sales at beginning of pandemic
The Justice Department opened a probe into Georgia Sen. David Perdue’s stock sales for possible insider trading earlier this year but declined to pursue charges, according to The New York Times.
Mother Jones: Perdue and Loeffler’s Well-Timed Stock Trades Give Georgia Democrats an Opening
Sen. David Perdue has hit a tough string of headlines recently that are complicating his effort to win reelection as a Republican in Georgia. The coverage shares a theme: Perdue used his position in the Senate to enrich himself and his wealthy donors.
Newsweek: Georgia GOP Sen. Perdue Quadrupled Stock Value by Selling Millions Before COVID Crash, Then Buying Back Weeks Later
As the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the U.S., Georgia Republican Senator David Perdue took steps that saw the value his stocks quadruple.
Reuters: Stock trades by Senator Perdue said to have prompted DoJ Inquiry – NYT
Republican Senator David Perdue’s stock trades in financial firm Cardlytics Inc earlier in 2020 prompted a Justice Department inquiry that has since been shut without charges, the New York Times reported here on Wednesday.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: New questions surface about David Perdue’s involvement in stock trades
U.S. Sen. David Perdue’s campaign has said for months that he had a hands-off approach to his stock portfolio. However, a report from The New York Times about a federal investigation into Perdue’s trades during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic shows he did have some input on trades made on his behalf.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: David Perdue’s stock trading saw an uptick as coronavirus took hold
U.S. Sen. David Perdue’s financial portfolio saw heavy trading during the month of March, a period during which Congress passed three different spending bills to address the spread of COVID-19 and the markets took a turn for the worse.
11Alive: Report offers new details on Sen. Perdue’s stock trades
A New York Times report published Wednesday afternoon offered new details into the stock trades of Sen. David Perdue, which drew sharp scrutiny at the outset of the pandemic.
Forbes: Sen. David Perdue Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Stock Trades
As he fights for reelection in a race that could determine control of the Senate, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) is once again under scrutiny for his finances as the New York Times reports he was under federal investigation for stock trades and a House Democrat asks the SEC to probe other trades he made.
Salon: Perdue traded hundreds of thousands worth of bank stocks while on Senate Banking Committee
David Perdue, one of two multimillionaire Georgia Republican senators facing insider-trading scrutiny ahead of runoff elections in January, traded hundreds of thousands of dollars in bank stock while passing pro-bank legislation on the Senate Banking Committee, financial disclosures show.
MSNBC: Key Senate Republican faces questions about well-timed investments
…Way back in January, when most Americans were unconcerned about the coronavirus, Perdue received a classified briefing on the viral threat. The same day, he bought stock in a company that sells personal protective equipment.
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