WASHINGTON — A New York Times investigation found that between 2019 and 2021, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and members of her immediate family traded stocks of companies while she served on Senate committees that dealt with issues related to those companies.
According to the report, Capito sold shares of Carrier in late 2020, about nine months after the company lobbied for a manufacturing bill being considered by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where she served. Carrier said the legislation would help its industry.
Capito also sold shares of Verizon while serving on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, as well as its Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband.
In addition, the investigation found that Capito’s husband reportedly bought or sold stock in roughly two dozen companies that intersected with her committee assignments. In total, Capito reported trades in 76 companies, with 26 of those identified by The Times as potential conflicts of interest.
A spokesperson for Capito told The Times that she voted to require congressional stock disclosures and “continues to comply” with those rules.
The companies with reported trades connected to Capito’s committee work included:
-
Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security: Microsoft
-
Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety / Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure: CSX Corp., Norfolk Southern
-
Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee: Apple, Intel, Airbus, Alphabet, Amazon, ASML Holding, AT&T, Broadcom, Crown Castle International, IBM, SoftBank, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Verizon
-
Environment and Public Works Committee: Shell, Exxon Mobil, Carrier, Chevron, Enbridge, Phillips 66, Schlumberger Ltd., Sempra Energy
Capito has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015 and is the vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference.
