[link removed] [[link removed]] MAY 8, 2025
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House Democrat sells off all stock holdings, citing ‘best practices’
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A wealthy, first-term House member from the Los Angeles area is voluntarily dumping all of his stock holdings to keep his personal finances from conflicting with his Capitol Hill responsibilities, Dave Levinthal reports.
Rep. George Whitesides [[link removed]] , a Democrat representing California’s 27th district, sold 34 individual stock holdings in late March, including shares in companies that hold lucrative contracts with the federal government, according to congressional records reviewed by OpenSecrets.
Taken together, Whitesides’ stock sell-off is worth between $2.32 million and $5.42 million, an OpenSecrets analysis of the records indicates. (Federal lawmakers are only required by law to provide asset values in broad ranges.)
His sales come at a time when Congress is actively debating whether to force lawmakers to stop trading individual stocks, bonds and cryptocurrency altogether. Prominent Republicans and Democrats alike — from President Donald Trump to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) — have recently expressed support [[link removed]] for a congressional stock-trade ban of some sort.
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Trump administration profile: John Ratcliffe
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By Indy Scholtens
The Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe [[link removed]] to be the director of the CIA on Jan. 23, 2025, with nearly half of Democrats [[link removed]] joining Republicans in voting “yes.” Ratcliffe served in President Donald Trump’s first administration as director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021.
After Ratcliffe took charge, the CIA cut off intelligence sharing [[link removed]] with Ukraine after a fallout between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump. In addition, the agency has been reviewing [[link removed]] its power to use lethal force against drug cartels and it released [[link removed]] hundreds of documents regarding the killing of former President John F. Kennedy.
Who is he?
Ratcliffe, 59, worked as an attorney [[link removed]] for several private law firms in Texas from 1987 until he started his own firm with his wife, Tucker & Ratcliffe, in 2000. He served as a city council member for the small Texas town Heath from 2001 to 2004, after which he became mayor and served until 2012. At the same time, he spent four years as chief of anti-terriorism and national security of the Eastern District of Texas during the George W. Bush administration and then served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas from 2007 to 2008. Ratcliffe, a Republican, was elected to the House in 2014 to represent Texas’ 4th district.
During the 2019-20 session, Ratcliffe was a member of the Judiciary, Homeland Security and Intelligence committees. After Dan Coats resigned as DNI [[link removed]] , Trump nominated Ratcliffe to oversee the nation’s intelligence agencies. But when the media reported on Ratcliffe’s exaggerations on his resume [[link removed]] and Democrats called him too partisan to serve in the role, Republicans expressed doubts about him. Ratcliffe withdrew [[link removed]] his name as a result but was later renominated by Trump and confirmed [[link removed]] as director of national intelligence in May 2020.
During Trump’s first impeachment trial, Ratcliffe was appointed [[link removed]] one of the congressional members of Trump’s defense team, offering “advice and advocacy.”
Follow the money
* The top contributors to Ratcliffe’s 2019-20 campaign were employees of, and PACs affiliated with, UBS Americas ( $7,800 [[link removed]] ), Gmr ( $6,600 [[link removed]] ) and L3Harris Technologies ( $6,600 [[link removed]] ).
* Ratcliffe received most contributions [[link removed]] throughout his electoral career from ideological donors: Republican/conservative individuals and PACs contributed $193,512 [[link removed]] . He received $173,325 [[link removed]] from individuals and PACs related to the oil and gas industry. His top contributors throughout his political career also include major defense contractors [[link removed]] : L3Harris Technologies contributed $34,750 [[link removed]] through its employees and affiliated PACs with another $22,500 [[link removed]] from employees and PACs of Northrop Grumman.
* OpenSecrets estimated [[link removed]] Ratcliffe’s net worth at almost $6.8 million in 2018. Financial records [[link removed]] show that Ratcliffe earned over $3.3 million through various positions in 2024. He co-chaired the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute, for which he received $180,000. He received $90,000 in salary as a visiting fellow for the Heritage Foundation. Ratcliffe was paid $1.3 million for consultancy roles at Blackstone, the investment management firm All World Holdings, US Trinity Energy Services and Perot Jain LP, among others. He received $1.2 million in salary as president of Starlight Futures, LLC, a passthrough company. Ratcliffe vowed to Congress he would terminate the agreements with Blackstone, US Trinity Energy Services, Perot Jain, and others, but not with All World Holdings.
* In 2022, Forbes reported [[link removed]] that Ratcliffe used his campaign money to pay his wife $43,500 [[link removed]] . He terminated [[link removed]] his campaign committee, after using it for nearly two years to pay his wife for “compliance services.” Ratcliffe also paid [[link removed]] himself more than $225,000 to pay off a personal loan to his campaign.
Why it matters [[link removed]]
Additional profiles
* Doug Collins [[link removed]] , secretary of veterans affairs
* Hakeem Jeffries [[link removed]] , House minority leader
* Lee Zeldin [[link removed]] , EPA administrator
* Howard Lutnick [[link removed]] , secretary of commerce
* Mike Waltz [[link removed]] , national security advisor
* Marco Rubio [[link removed]] , secretary of state
* Sean Duffy [[link removed]] , secretary of transportation
* Susie Wiles [[link removed]] , White Hosue
* Tulsi Gabbard [[link removed]] , director national intelligence
* Kash Patel [[link removed]] , director of the FBI
* Kristi Noem [[link removed]] , secretary of homeland security
* Robert F. Kennedy Jr. [[link removed]] , secretary of health and human services
* Linda McMahon [[link removed]] , secretary of education
* Elise Stefanik [[link removed]] , ambassador to the United Nations
* Doug Burgum [[link removed]] , secretary of the interior
* Pete Hegseth [[link removed]] , secretary of defense
* Pam Bondi [[link removed]] , attorney general
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What else we're reading
[[link removed]] [[link removed] goes here] Trump Cabinet Officials’ Former Clients Are Now Lobbying Their Offices [[link removed]] (Sludge)
[[link removed]] [[link removed] goes here] Alaska House votes down restrictions and disclosure rules for ‘dark money’ campaign cash [[link removed]] (KTOO)
[[link removed]] [[link removed] goes here] 15 years after Citizens United, big money dominates politics in Pa. and beyond [[link removed]] (Spotlight PA)
[[link removed]] [[link removed] goes here] Did Cuomo’s ‘Message for Voters’ Violate Campaign Finance Rules? [[link removed]] (The New York Times)
OpenSecrets in the News
See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:
[[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] Who Really Pays for Congress? Local Donors All But Disappear in 2024 [[link removed]] (Independent Voter News)
New analysis from OpenSecrets shows how much local influence has disappeared in congressional elections. The 2024 election cycle, in particular, marked a historic shift in campaign financing — confirming that local money is no longer the lifeblood of congressional campaigns.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp won’t run for US Senate seat in 2026 against Democrat Jon Ossoff [[link removed]] (The Associated Press)
The election is likely to be closely contested and fantastically expensive. The twin Senate races in 2020, when Ossoff and Raphael Warnock narrowly won and flipped control of the body to Democrats, cost more than $900 million combined, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks political spending. Warnock’s 2022 reelection over Republican Herschel Walker cost more than $470 million, OpenSecrets found.
Meet the AI, crypto executive cozying up to Trump while also backing resistance movement: 'Won't be fooled' [[link removed]] (Fox News)
OpenSecrets data from the 2024 election cycle shows a roughly 50-50 split between Coinbase's donations to congressional Democrats and Republicans.
Farm Babe: Why is it important to lobby for agriculture? [[link removed]] (Ag Daily)
Lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., are divided into various categories, such as Agricultural Services, Crop Production, Livestock, and Dairy. According to Open Secrets, some of the top industry lobbyists are the U.S. Beet Sugar Association ($3.8 million), Archer Daniels Midland ($3.65 million), the National Pork Producers Council ($2.69 million), and Land O’Lakes ($2.49 million).
See More [[link removed]]
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We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the OpenSecrets Merch Store [[link removed]] ! Now, you can support our mission while looking good doing it. Every purchase helps us provide comprehensive and reliable data, analysis and tools for policymakers, storytellers and citizens.
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We’re excited to announce our participation in the 2025 American Democracy Summit [[link removed]] — one of the premier gatherings of pro-democracy leaders and changemakers in the country. This year’s theme, "We The Future," is about coming together to build a stronger, more accountable government that truly represents all Americans — a theme that aligns perfectly with the OpenSecrets mission.
The American Democracy Summit will take place near Phoenix, Arizona, May 14-16, 2025.
Learn all about the summit’s innovative programming and world-class speakers here [[link removed]] . And use the discount code OPENSECRETS to get 10% off your ticket.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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