Rep. Bresnahan sold shares in PA companies ahead of market drop

Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan sold off shares in multiple Pennsylvania companies, seemingly betting against his own state’s economy and stirring conflict-of-interest questions.

According to a Periodic Transaction Report (PTR), Bresnahan sold shares in 50 different companies on April 8. Included in the sales were Boeing, FedEx, Accenture, and Procter & Gamble—all of which rank among top employers in his state.

The sell-off happened on the same day that President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on China, triggering a market slump. Bresnahan told WVIA a few days earlier that Trump’s tariffs could improve the economy.

“I think tariffs could be used very strategically in the right deployment and some targeted initiatives,” he said. “And that’s hopefully … about making life affordable again. We want to make sure that we’re protecting from harm across the board.”

Bresnahan also sold shares of CSX, a freight railroad company. Both CSX and Boeing are regulated by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, on which Bresnahan sits.

This is not the first time Bresnahan has faced scrutiny for his stock transactions. As a candidate, he pledged to ban stock trading by members of Congress.

“Some of the most prolific traders in the country serve in Congress,” Brenshan wrote in an op-ed from March 2024. “Whether or not they have done something wrong, the idea that we can buy and sell stocks while voting on legislation that will have a direct impact on these companies is wrong and needs to come to an end immediately. This is the topic of bipartisan legislation right now in the House that I would happily co-sponsor.”

In addition to continuing his own stock trades, Bresnahan has not co-sponsored any such legislation.

Bresnahan represents Pennsylvania’s 8th District, which includes portions of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. In 2024, he defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright by fewer than 6,300 votes.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which works to elect Democrats to Congress, has identified Bresnahan’s seat as a possible flip in 2026.

A Bresnahan spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.