LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – A heated exchange over personal finances and ethics left Rep. Mikie Sherrill momentarily speechless during Sunday night’s New Jersey gubernatorial debate, as Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli once again noted she is profiting from her time in Congress through questionable stock trades.
Sherrill thought she had a mic drop moment when she said, “It doesn’t matter because I’m going to make sure that he doesn’t get to serve again when I win for governor in November of this year.”
Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, told the audience that Sherrill had tripled her net worth during her seven years in Washington.
He charged that she violated federal stock reporting laws and pointed to a report alleging she traded defense stocks while serving on the House Armed Services Committee.
That’s where the tables turned on the Virginia native, Sherrill.
“There’s a big difference between her public service and mine,” Ciattarelli said. “It cost me money, the time I put in, and it took me away from my company. In the seven years she’s been in Congress, she’s tripled her net worth. She broke the law. She had to pay fines for violating federal law on stock trades and stock reporting. And while sitting on the Armed Services Committee, she was trading defense stocks.”
Ad: Save every day with Amazon Deals: Check out today's daily deals on Amazon.
The New York Times has confirmed Ciattarelli’s allegations. Sherrill was found guilty of improperly trading stocks while in Congress. A 2022 New York Times report identified Representative Mikie Sherrill and dozens of other lawmakers who failed to disclose stock trades as required by law properly. Sherrill has faced scrutiny and political attacks regarding fines received for late disclosure and the increase in her family’s net worth while in office, allegedly through sitting on committees with advanced intelligence on financial decisions by the federal government.
The back-and-forth capped an already tense debate that featured clashes over immigration, the state Motor Vehicle Commission, and New Jersey’s sanctuary policies. Ciattarelli repeatedly framed himself as a candidate who lost money serving the public, while portraying Sherrill as a career politician who benefited financially from her office.
The stock-trade allegations, which have dogged several members of Congress in recent years, underscored Ciattarelli’s strategy of focusing on ethics and accountability. Sherrill’s campaign has rejected claims of wrongdoing, saying her financial disclosures comply with federal law.
Key Points
- Jack Ciattarelli highlighted Mikie Sherrill tripling her net worth in Congress and trading defense stocks while on the Armed Services Committee.
- Sherrill, briefly left speechless, later vowed to defeat Ciattarelli in November’s gubernatorial race.
- Debate featured clashes on immigration, motor vehicle services, and ethics in public service.
Ciattarelli’s attack line landed hard, leaving Sherrill fighting to shift the spotlight back to policy.