Sen. Kelly Loeffler sold millions in stock during coronavirus crash, filings show
Sen. Kelly Loeffler and her husband sold millions in stock from mid-February to mid-March as markets began to crash due to the coronavirus, new disclosures reveal.
The Georgia Republican, appointed in January, made big trades as the crisis worsened after an initial selloff last month that sparked allegations of illegal insider trading.
Loeffler attended a January 23 briefing for senators on COVID-19 but denies illegally selling based on non-public information.
According to new Senate filings, the couple traded massive amounts of stock in Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, given an advance look at details, reported that the couple sold $18.7 million in Intercontinental Exchange, run by Loeffler’s husband Jeff Sprecher.
Other sales include early-March dumping of shares of about $150,000 in retailers Lululemon and T.J. Maxx and Ross Stores. The companies would be hard hit when local governments ordered non-essential businesses closed beginning in mid-March.
The couple also sold more than $110,000 of stock in Facebook in late February and early March. The social network is a top player in digital advertising.
Meanwhile, the couple bought up to $400,000 in stock in DuPont de Nemours in late February and early March, according to disclosure forms. DuPont makes in-demand personal protective equipment. The Journal-Constitution specified the purchase was $206,774.
Loeffler and three other senators came under fire last month for significant stock sales before the full scope of the crisis became clear to the public. Sens. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) defended themselves saying they didn’t attend the Jan. 23 private briefing for senators.
Senate intelligence committee chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said he made trades based off public information, despite receiving classified briefings.
But Loeffler stood out in her strident self-defense.
“There is no corruption. This is called transparency,” Loeffler confidently told The Post last month.
She wrote on Twitter last month: “This is a ridiculous & baseless attack. I don’t make investment decisions for my portfolio. Investment decisions are made by multiple third-party advisors without my or my husband’s knowledge or involvement.”
According to initial disclosures last month, Loeffler sold as much as $3.1 million worth of stock from January 24 — the day she attended the private briefing — and bought shares in the tech firm Oracle and Citrix, which provides teleworking software.
Source: Read Full Article