Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has found himself in another feud, this time with Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin over trading stocks.
It began on Wednesday when Gaetz responded to a post from Quiver Quantitative, which tracks stock trading within Congress, showing Mullin has increased his net worth from $12 million in 2018 to $63 million in 2022 on a $174,000 a year congressional salary.
“We should pass a ban on trading stocks!” Gaetz wrote.
Gaetz has been very vocal about banning lawmakers and their spouses from owning stocks. In May he was among a group of bipartisan lawmakers in the House to unveil a bill that would prohibit members of Congress from owning and trading individual stocks.
Mullin responded to Gaetz in a post on Twitter, suggesting that his $51 million increase in his wealth over 4 years is due to his hard work.
“I hear @RepMattGaetz has criticism of hard-earned success — he should try building a business that gains value, it’s more gratifying than living off your daddy’s money,” Mullin posted.
Gaetz fired back, writing: “The only thing I criticized were your stock trades while a member of Congress. I want to ban those trades. You cashed in and made millions.”
While Mullin claims his increase in wealth was due to hard work, The Hill noted that his trades have attracted some attention. In September, Mullin bought between $15,000 and $50,000 in Raytheon Technologies stock. The company’s stock have risen 6 percent since the Oct. 7 attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas.
Mullin—a Kevin McCarthy ally— ramped up his attacks on Gaetz after the Florida congressman successfully led the effort to oust McCarthy as speaker. Mullin told CNN’s Manu Raju that Gaetz “would brag about how he would crush E.D. medicine and chase it with an energy drink so he could go all night.” He also said Gaetz made lewd remarks about South Dakota governor Kristi Noem and joked that he had to sell his constituents catheters because they are old.
Gaetz denied Mullin allegations at the time in a statement saying, “I don’t think Markwayne Mullin and I have said 20 words to each other on the House floor. This is a lie from someone who doesn’t know me and who is coping with the death of the political career of his friend Kevin.”
