Sunday, September 18, 2022

New Hampshire's GOP Senate nominee Don Bolduc is breaking federal law by not disclosing his personal finances

New Hampshire Republican US Senate nominee Don Bolduc gestures as he is introduced during a debate on September 7, 2022, in Henniker, New Hampshire.AP Photo/Mary Schwalm
  • Republican congressional nominee Don Bolduc hasn't filed a mandatory personal financial disclosure for 2022.

  • Bolduc won New Hampshire's Republican primary on Tuesday and faces Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan.

  • Bolduc's disclosure from 2021 indicated he held no individual stocks and had no debt.

Don Bolduc, an Army veteran and one-time election denier who is also New Hampshire's Republican Senate nominee, is flouting a federal conflict-of-interest and transparency law by failing to submit details about his own finances in 2022, an Insider review of congressional financial filings indicates.

Bolduc, who won in New Hampshire's GOP Senate primary on September 13, will face off against Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in November. Bolduc, who last submitted a candidate financial disclosure in 2021, has yet to file one for the 2022 calendar year, meaning voters cannot review details about Bolduc's most up-to-date income, investments, employment, and debts.

Bolduc should have submitted his latest disclosure by May 15, according to guidance from the US Senate Select Committee on Ethics. A congressional candidate could face an investigation or fine if they fail to file a statement, though officials rarely pursue such investigations.

Bolduc's campaign did not respond to Insider's requests for comment.

What Bolduc's 2021 disclosure reveals

Bolduc's amended candidate disclosure from 2021 shows that, at the time, Bolduc had no apparent liabilities and debts. The Republican nominee and his spouse reported investments in several mutual funds, but no investments in any individual stocks or bonds.

The disclosure notes that Bolduc made $65,000 in 2021 from his employment with New England College as an associate professor. He also reported being a board member or advisor in several nonprofit organizations.

 

Former election denier

Prior to winning the Republican nomination for US Senate in New Hampshire, Bolduc vociferously told supporters that he believed the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.

"I signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals saying that Donald Trump won the election and, damn it, I stand by my letter," Bolduc said at a debate. "I'm not switching horses, baby."

On Thursday, two days after securing the GOP nomination, Bolduc switched his tune in an appearance on Fox News.

"I've done a lot of research on this and I've spent the past couple of weeks talking to Granite Staters all over the state from every party, and I have come to the conclusion — and I want to be definitive on this — the election was not stolen," he said on television adding that, "elections have consequences, and, unfortunately, President Biden is the legitimate president of this country."

A halted push to ban congressional stock trading

Insider's "Conflicted Congress" project has found 72 members of Congress in violation of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 with late or missing financial disclosures.

"Conflicted Congress" also found numerous examples of conflicts of interest, where lawmakers' official duties intersected with the personal investments. A report this week from the New York Times counted 97 members of Congress who either personally, or through family members, "bought or sold financial assets over a three-year span in industries that could be affected by their legislative committee work."

Following the initial publication of "Conflicted Congress" in December, lawmakers began to debate in earnest whether to ban themselves and their spouses from buying, selling, or holding individual stocks. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi originally opposed the idea, but later acquiesced after members of Congress from both sides of the aisle sharply criticized her stance.

Members of a House Democratic group working on a draft of the proposed ban initially suggested that a vote on the bill would occur in September. That may yet happen in the House, but Insider reported Thursday that the Senate does not plan to take up a stock-trade ban bill until November at the earliest.

"I'm looking forward to getting this across the finish line, but it's not going to happen before the election," Rep. Jeff Merkley told Insider's Bryan Metzger on Thursday.

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