AOC fires warning shot at Mikie Sherrill, congressional stock market millionaires over stock trades as NJ governor race heats up
Newark, NJ – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a stark message aimed squarely at Rep. Mikie Sherrill amid her campaign for New Jersey governor, questioning whether lawmakers enriched by stock market trades should hold office at all — and suggesting those unwilling to divest should “stay home.”
In a blunt statement, Ocasio-Cortez said candidates complaining about having to give up personal financial interests shouldn’t run for public office, citing her own experience of entering politics as a waitress. The remarks came as scrutiny intensifies over Sherrill’s financial gains from stock trading during her time in Congress.
“You guys have to go,” Ocasio-Cortez said during public remarks, addressing members of Congress with significant stock holdings. “If anyone says, ‘This isn’t fair, I’m going to have to divest all my stocks if I’m going to run for Congress,’ maybe you should stay home.”
Rep. Sherrill, a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor, has faced growing questions over her personal stock trading activity. Since entering Congress in 2019, Sherrill and her family have reported trading millions of dollars’ worth of stocks, some involving companies directly affected by legislation before Congress.
Now, as she pursues the title of governor of New Jersey, that trading history is drawing renewed attention from both ethics watchdogs and political opponents.
Financial disclosures show Sherrill and her spouse made numerous trades involving tech and defense sector stocks while she sat on relevant committees. Though no legal violations have been found, the optics have raised concerns at a time when public trust in Congress is under pressure.
Ocasio-Cortez has been a leading voice in the push for a ban on stock trading by members of Congress, repeatedly calling it a “basic standard of ethics.” Her comments this week are seen as a not-so-subtle jab at Sherrill’s candidacy and a warning sign of potential fractures within the Democratic Party as primary battles begin to form.
Sherrill has not yet responded publicly to AOC’s comments, but her campaign has previously maintained that all disclosures and trades were fully compliant with congressional ethics rules.
Sherrill has chalked her stock market success during her stint in Congress as “being lucky”.
With the New Jersey governor’s race now underway, Sherrill’s financial record could become a central flashpoint, especially as pressure builds from the progressive wing of her own party.
—
Key Points
- AOC said lawmakers who won’t divest from stocks should “stay home”
- Mikie Sherrill’s stock trades under scrutiny as she runs for NJ governor
- Disclosures show her family traded millions in stock while in Congress
AOC’s shot at Sherrill turns up heat on insider-trading cloud hanging over NJ governor’s race