Pa. Rep. Mike Kelly Faces Ethics Scrutiny Over Stock Purchase

WASHINGTON (AP/KDKA) — A congressional ethics watchdog has concluded there is "substantial reason to believe" that the wife of Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly used nonpublic information gained through her husband's position in Congress to purchase stock last year.

That could violate federal law and House rules.

A report issued Thursday by the Office of Congressional Ethics details the April 2020 purchase of stock in an Ohio steel maker.

The company had threatened to shut down a plant in Kelly's district unless the Trump administration granted it trade relief, which the administration did.

Kelly's wife Victoria purchased stock before that information became public and later sold it for a profit.

The Press Secretary for Rep. Mike Kelly, Matthew Knoedler, gave the following statement on behalf of Kelly:

"Congressman Kelly has been open and transparent about his required financial disclosures during his decade in the United States House of Representatives, including the inquiry by the House Committee on Ethics. Details published in news reports regarding those disclosures were found because the Congressman publicly reported his financial records. Both the Congressman and Mrs. Kelly have been, and will continue to be, advocates and supporters of the Butler Works/Cleveland Cliffs plant in Butler, where they are lifelong residents. For years, Congressman Kelly has been a vocal leader to save the approximately 1,400 jobs at the Butler plant, including bipartisan legislation and letters. The Congressman is proud to continue serving the great Pennsylvanians of the commonwealth's 16th Congressional District."

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