How Trump's Homeland Security Pick Got a Lot Wealthier in Congress [View all]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/15/us/politics/trump-markwayne-mullin-homeland-security-stocks.html

https://archive.ph/YLIgd

How Trump’s Homeland Security Pick, a Prolific Investor, Got a Lot Wealthier in Congress
Markwayne Mullin’s financial dealings take on new importance as the Senate considers his nomination to lead an agency whose budget has vastly expanded.
By Christopher Flavelle, Madeleine Ngo and Georgia Gee
March 15, 2026, 1:25 p.m. ET

A few days after Christmas, Senator Markwayne Mullin’s expansive stock portfolio got significantly bigger.

Mr. Mullin reported buying shares in Chevron, the only major U.S. oil company producing in Venezuela. Five days after the purchase, President Trump attacked Venezuela, demanding that its leadership give better terms to U.S. oil companies. Chevron’s stock price has since jumped, even as the market as a whole has slipped.

The Chevron transaction, which Mr. Mullin reported in January, was among as much as $2.8 million he invested in 31 companies on Dec. 29 — and part of a pattern of large and frequent trades that has made him one of the most prolific stock buyers in Congress.

There is no indication that Mr. Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who has said he speaks with Mr. Trump “all the time,” had inside knowledge of the administration’s plans before those stock transactions. Federal law doesn’t prohibit members of Congress from trading stock, even in industries overseen by committees on which they serve.

But Mr. Mullin’s financial dealings take on new importance this week as the Senate is set to consider his nomination to lead the Homeland Security Department, which is issuing billions of dollars in new contracts as part of the administration’s immigration crackdown.

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