Lawmakers’ committee assignments and industry investments overlap (Hi Ron Paul!)
Rep. Ron Paul is captivated by gold. Over the past two decades, he has written books about the virtues of gold-backed currency. He has made uncounted speeches about the precious metal. He even took a leadership post on the House subcommittee that oversees the nation’s monetary policy, mints and gold medals.
But his focus on gold goes beyond the theoretical.
In recent years, Ron Paul (R-Tex.) has poured hundreds of thousands of his own dollars into stocks of some of the world’s largest gold-mining operations, according to a review of his financial disclosure forms by The Washington Post. In 2008, while advocating for the United States to reinstate a gold standard, he reported owning up to $1.5 million in shares of at least nine gold-production companies. In addition, he disclosed up to $200,000 in silver stocks. In all, those holdings represented close to half of his assets.
File under Who cudda known?/
More at the link. It’s no surprise Ron Paul is a douchebag, but there are also broader questions here about legislators’ investments and committees and subcommittees they serve on.