Commentary
The U.S. federal government has over 1.8 million civilian employees and over 1.3 million active duty military personnel. Many have access to confidential information that could be traded in the stock market to give an edge against taxpayer stock traders who pay their salaries. That’s just wrong.
A major Wall Street Journal study, published in a series of investigative articles this month, delves into the details of questionable stock trades and conflicts of interest by mostly mid-level officials in the executive branch. The Journal found that laws for public disclosure and recusal from policymaking on issues that would affect their investments are often not complied with and seldom enforced….