SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Independent U.S. Senate candidate Craig Jelks on Wednesday called on Alabama’s sitting senators to pledge not to trade stocks while in office, citing recent disclosure issues as evidence of the need for stronger ethics rules and transparency.
Jelks, an Alabama native and educator running for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, urged both Tuberville and U.S. Sen. Katie Britt to commit to banning stock trading and fully disclosing financial activity.
“I’m calling on Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville to commit to no stock trading and full transparency of their economic gains while in office,” Jelks said in a written statement. “Recent reporting about late disclosures and past violations of the STOCK Act shows exactly why these reforms are needed.”
The call follows Britt’s filing of a periodic transaction report nearly eight months late, disclosing 22 stock transactionsmade between April and November 2025 through a retirement account owned by her husband, Wesley Britt. Senate rules require transactions involving at least $1,000 to be reported within 45 days.
While disclosure forms list only value ranges, the filing indicates transactions totaling between $22,000 and $330,000. Britt’s office said she was unaware of the trades until recently and attributed them to her husband’s stockbroker.
Under the federal STOCK Act, first-time late filers may face a $200 fine regardless of intent.
One transaction involved JPMorgan Chase stock, purchased while Britt serves on the Senate Banking Committee. After public disclosure, her office said the stock would be sold and proceeds donated to charity to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.
Tuberville has faced similar scrutiny. In 2021, he failed to properly disclose roughly 130 stock and stock-option tradesvalued between $894,000 and $3.5 million, prompting an ethics complaint.
Jelks said repeated disclosure failures erode public trust.
“When members of Congress treat the law like it doesn’t matter, it sends a message that there are different rules for them,” he said. “Public service shouldn’t be a side hustle. It should be a promise.”
The issue comes as Congress debates competing proposals to restrict stock trading by lawmakers, with disagreement over how far those limits should go.