In northeast Pennsylvania, a push for transparency and ethical conduct is gaining momentum as a local non-profit seeks to curb insider stock trading among county officials. Action Together NEPA aims to place a critical question on the upcoming November ballot for voters in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
The proposed ballot question will ask residents if they support amending the home rule charters of these counties to prevent officials and employees from engaging in stock trading or prediction market betting based on insider information. Additionally, it calls for public disclosure of ethics complaints and stock trades related to county, state, and federal representatives of the counties.
Current Legal Landscape
Currently, no state or federal laws prohibit stock trading by elected public officials. However, state law mandates that government employees and officials disclose their income sources, while federal laws require candidates and sitting members of Congress to report their investments. Discussions around banning stock trading have predominantly focused on Congress members.
“This is to send a message,” stated Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich, Action Together NEPA’s executive director, emphasizing the prevalence of corruption in northeastern Pennsylvania, particularly in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties.
The group aims to gather 11,650 petition signatures in Luzerne County and 8,900 in Lackawanna County to support their cause. These petitions must be submitted by August 4.
Spotlight on Stock Trading
Stock trading by Congress members has sparked national debate, including in Northeast Pennsylvania. U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, who assumed office in January 2025, emerged as a prolific stock trader despite advocating for a congressional stock trading ban during his campaign. Bresnahan asserts that he does not direct his financial advisors on stock trades. Recently, he ceased trading stocks and joined a petition advocating for a stock trading ban.
“This is an ongoing issue, so our hope here is to send a message and to make it clear that enough is enough, and we’re not going to stand for it anymore,” Hoffman-Mirilovich remarked, noting that Action Together volunteers frequently encounter voter concerns about this issue.
Proposed Ballot Questions
The proposed question for Luzerne County reads: “Shall the Luzerne County Home Rule Charter be amended to require specifically that the Accountability, Conduct, and Ethics Code prohibit County elected officials and employees from engaging in individual stock trades or predication market bets that are based on nonpublic information obtained in the course of their official County service and provide annual reporting of ethics complaints and stock trades involving County, state, and federal elected officials representing the County?”
The proposed question for Lackawanna County is: “Shall the Lackawanna County Home Rule Charter be amended to require specifically that the Lackawanna County Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics prohibit County elected officials and employees from engaging in individual stock trades or predication market bets based on nonpublic information obtained in the course of their official County service and provide annual reporting of ethics complaints and stock trades involving County, state, and federal elected officials representing the County?”
