Trump Pardons Former Congressman Convicted of Insider Trading

Source: New York Times

Trump Pardons Former Congressman Convicted of Insider Trading

Stephen Buyer, a former Republican representative from Indiana, was convicted of trading stock related to two deals before they were made public.


Stephen Buyer arriving for his insider trading trial in New York City in 2023. Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters

By Francesca Regalado
June 6, 2026, 1:32 a.m. ET

President Trump has pardoned Stephen E. Buyer, a former Republican representative from Indiana who was convicted of insider trading in 2023. ... The pardon for Mr. Buyer was endorsed by current and former Republican lawmakers, including Senators Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and former House Speaker John Boehner, according to the proclamation, which was dated June 4.

Mr. Buyer was sentenced in 2023 to 22 months in prison after being convicted on four counts of securities fraud. The authorities had filed civil and criminal charges against him for trading stock on information about two mergers that he had received from clients of the consulting firm he formed after leaving Congress in 2011, according to the complaint.

Since he returned to the White House last year, Mr. Trump has issued a wave of pardons and commutations. Dozens of pardons have been granted to people accused of white-collar crimes, giving rise to an industry of right-wing operatives hired to bring requests for clemency to the president.

{snip}

Republicans and Democrats in Congress have been grappling with insider trading by lawmakers, who have access to classified information, meet business leaders and set economic policy. ... House Republicans have advanced a bill that would impose some restrictions on buying and selling stock by lawmakers and their relatives, though Democrats said the bill contained loopholes that undermined its purpose.

Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
https://www.nytimes.com/by/francesca-regalado

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/06/us/politics/trump-pardon-stephen-buyer-insider-trading.html