Did he know something? Paul Pelosi sold $500,000 in Visa stock before the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice

California Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi is once again at the center of controversy due to the stock market transactions of her husband, Paul Pelosi. This time, criticism arose after Paul sold Visa stock valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars less than three months before the Justice Department sued the company for alleged monopolistic practices.

An account on X, known as the "Nancy Pelosi Stock Tracker," which closely monitors the Pelosi family's investments, noted that Paul Pelosi sold 2,000 Visa shares on July 1 for more than $500,000. The transaction was highlighted on the same day that the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Visa, accusing the company of maintaining an illegal monopoly in the debit card market. Following the announcement of the lawsuit, Visa's stock registered a drop, which has raised questions about the timing of the sale by Paul Pelosi.

Although it is not known how much profit the Pelosis made from the transaction, the proximity of the sale to the legal action has raised questions.

Past transactions under the spotlight

This is not the first time Paul Pelosi's financial decisions have generated controversy. In 2022, the Pelosi family came under fire when Paul acquired more than $1 million in Nvidia stock options just weeks before a congressional vote on subsidies to the semiconductor industry. Although he eventually sold the options after criticism, the incident highlighted concerns about insider trading.

Earlier this year, analyst reports suggested that the Pelosi's made nearly $4 million in profits in a six-month period from investments in Nvidia. These cases, along with the recent sale of Visa stock, have fueled criticism of the need for greater regulation of investments by lawmakers and their family members.

Congressional debate

Stock trading by legislators' family members is legal, as long as they do not benefit from insider information. However, the sale of stock in companies that are under direct congressional regulationhas been a recurring issue in recent years. Lawmakers from both parties have proposed measures to prohibit members of Congress and their families from owning stock, arguing that the transactions could be influenced by nonpublic information or legislative decisions.

Despite growing pressure for stricter measures, so far no significant changes have been implemented in the legislation on these types of transactions.