Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) violated federal law by dodging reporting requirements for lawmakers to reveal their stock trades, according to a new report.
Mullin waited over 2 1/2 years before revealing he violated federal financial conflicts of interest disclosure laws, Dave Leventhal wrote for NOTUS.
Lawmakers are required to file when they make such trades within 45 days, but in the past, some lawmakers have significantly delayed submitting their filings. No lawmaker has ever been prosecuted for violating the disclosure law, however.
Mullin’s staff claimed it was just like filing someone’s taxes, where sometimes they forget to claim hundreds of thousands of dollars on the forms.
“Much like tax returns, financial disclosures occasionally need to be amended to reflect the most accurate, up-to-date information. That’s what we did here,” said the Mullin spokesperson.
Mullin claims that an “independent third-party operator firm that manages all stock portfolio investments on his behalf. He does not conduct nor inform trades. This independent firm reports bi-weekly with Senate Ethics to ensure compliance with federal law,” the spokesperson also said.