In a bid to secure a seat in Congress, Paige Cognetti, a Democratic candidate, has vowed to prohibit stock trading by congressional members if she wins the upcoming election.
During a town hall meeting in Nanticoke, attended by over 100 supporters and featuring Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Cognetti echoed a pledge made by her rival, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, two years prior.
Back in March 2024, Bresnahan, a Republican, addressed a newspaper with a call to cease congressional stock trading, promising legislation to enforce the ban.
Upon his election and commencement of office in January 2025, Bresnahan continued to trade stocks while introducing a ban, facing criticism for his actions. By December, he halted all trading until a legislative ban is enacted.
Cognetti assured her supporters that she would adhere to her commitment if elected, contrasting Bresnahan’s approach to the issue.
“You have to show that you are willing to sacrifice to be in public service. I’ve been doing that as mayor,” said Cognetti, who has been serving as Scranton’s mayor for seven years.
She criticized Bresnahan’s proposed ban for lacking support and including “a tax loophole.”
“He thinks that people of NEPA are that ignorant, that we are okay with that,” she remarked. “That is just not okay.”
The town hall was organized by End Citizens United, an advocacy group from Washington D.C. focused on reversing a Supreme Court ruling that permits corporate donations to political candidates.
Group leader praises Kelly
Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, commended Kelly as the only congress member rejecting corporate donations, openly sharing his daily schedule, and placing personal investments in a blind trust.
“So we don’t even know what’s in there,” Kelly mentioned.
A blind trust prevents individuals from knowing their investment details, a practice common among presidents, excluding Donald Trump, to avoid conflicts of interest.
Bresnahan stock trading history
After assuming office in January 2025, Bresnahan became notable for frequent stock trading, according to Quiver Quantitative, which monitors congressional trades.
In May 2025, following a New York Times report highlighting his trading activities, Bresnahan denied instructing his financial adviser on investments while introducing a bill to ban trading. He expressed concerns over instructing his adviser to halt trading, fearing financial loss.
He attempted to place his assets in a blind trust but was deterred by House restrictions preventing him from retaining his financial adviser.
In December, Bresnahan endorsed a House petition for a vote on a stock trading ban, which has not progressed. According to Quiver Quantitative, he ceased trading except when corporate mergers mandated sales.
Cognetti did not disclose whether she would place her investments in a blind trust pending a congressional stock trading ban. Attempts to reach her for comments were unsuccessful.
Cognetti touts anti-corruption record
Cognetti emphasized her anti-corruption efforts since her appointment as a Scranton school director in 2018.
“We’ve had judges, mayors, county commissioners, state senators actually go to prison for public corruption. That is not fair to us. There is a cost to that,” she stated.
She pursued the mayoral position after Mayor Bill Courtright resigned and faced federal prison for corruption.
“I was very pregnant with our first child and was not going to raise our family in a place where corruption was just okay,” she said. “Our local Democratic party went into a closed room, anointed (another) candidate and essentially said … ‘Meet your new mayor’ … We won that race. We won big.”
As mayor, Cognetti claims to have restricted spending that benefits public officials.
“(There are) no no-show jobs anymore, right? We run the place well, we make sure that we manage our contracts, we procure our contracts, we make sure that those tax dollars are used and respected and used in a way that helps people, actually serves people,” she explained.
Kelly rips corporate donors
Senator Kelly criticized the influence of corporate donations on political corruption. He noted that the contribution from fewer than 300 billionaires has surged from less than 1% to 19% of all campaign funding.
“And people don’t become that rich without expecting a return on an investment, right?” he commented.
He highlighted the insider information available to Congress members that could influence stock trading, labeling Bresnahan as one of the “worst offenders.”
“Usually you can be held accountable. Not the case here in this district, not right now, not with this guy,” Kelly stated.
Bresnahan fires back
Bresnahan’s campaign responded by accusing Cognetti of ending maternity leave for unionized city employees, neglecting crime while fundraising for Congress, and laying off teachers during her tenure as a school director.
The statement criticized Kelly for “parachuting into Nanticoke to stump for Paige Cognetti … to lecture the hardworking people of Northeastern Pennsylvania about ‘corruption’ and ‘making the government work for working families.'”
“Mayor Cognetti and Mark Kelly don’t know NEPA, aren’t from here, and don’t speak for us,” the statement asserted. “Northeastern Pennsylvanians won’t be fooled.”
