Multimillionaire Roy Cooper Calls For Congressional Stock Trading Ban After He Secures His Retirement

Late last year, Cooper unveiled his “first” policy position as a Senate candidate, a ban on congressional stock trading. 

Calls for Congressional stock trading bans continue to grow as the trades of certain members of Congress raise concerns about their objectivity. Infamously, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom Cooper referred  to as a “trailblazer” and “generational leader,” posted  a staggering 16,930% return on investment, beat the market by 581%.  

There is deep concern about how to implement a stock trading ban in Congress, because a complete and total ban would likely discourage successful entrepreneurs and younger people from running, who need financial flexibility as they work to secure their families' financial position.  

This concern does not apply to former Governor Roy Asbury Cooper III. After decades in public office, Cooper’s net worth now exceeds several million. The mandatory financial disclosure reveals that Cooper’s assets are between $4.3 million and $9.8 million, mostly in stocks and mutual funds.  

NCGOP Communications Director Matt Mercer said, “It’s ironic Roy Cooper says he’s against a stock trading ban when he spent much of his time as Governor shaking down corporations and directing Green New Scam projects to areas his family directly benefited. After 40 years in elected office, he knows no other way to make a living other than on the taxpayers’ dime.”  

While Cooper was growing his net worth, as Governor he continued policies that increased costs of normal North Carolinians.  

• Cooper signed legislation that expanded sales tax in North Carolina. 

• The gas tax increased under his leadership. 

• Finally, Cooper opposed President Trump’s Working Family Tax Cuts to protect the largest tax cut in history, boost the child tax credit to $2,500 for 40 million families, and end taxes on tips and overtime for North Carolinian service workers.

Tim’s Take: There is little to no financial impact for Cooper to support a ban on Congressional stock trading because he’s already amassed a sizable amount and he is still participating in the State Employee Retirement System. After decades in public office, Cooper is independently wealthy but supports policies that would deter normal Americans, who don’t have millions saved, from running for Congress because they need to focus on financial security. Not everyone has taxpayer funded retirement plan like Cooper.