Rand Paul Just Disclosed That His Wife Bought Stock in COVID-19 Drug

It’s hard to imagine a worse Kentucky senator than the odious Mitch McConnell, but junior Senator Rand Paul has made it his mission to topple the chelonian Grim Reaper in the race to the bottom.

Paul revealed this week in a late financial disclosure that his wife Kelley Paul purchased up to $15,000 in stock in Gilead Sciences, the maker of the COVID-19 antiviral drug remdesivir. This reveal comes 18 months after Paul’s wife purchased the shares in February 2020, weeks before the pandemic changed our lives forever.

Yes, the very same Rand Paul who attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly during Senate testimony and singlehandedly delayed the vote on H.R.6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in March 2020 (before testing positive himself).

In fact, Paul has made it his mission to spread misinformation about COVID-19, and just this week was suspended by YouTube for a video where he baselessly claimed that masks didn’t protect people from the virus (they do).

Paul isn’t the first Republican senator to use his knowledge of the severity of the pandemic for financial gain. North Carolina senator Richard Burr sold information regarding the severity of COVID-19 to his wealthy friends and donors. Former Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, along with Oklahoma’s Jim Inhofe, all sold off a significant share of stocks in advance of the economic crash caused the pandemic.

Despite their best efforts, senators are not exempt from insider trading charges. The STOCK Act of 2012 requires members of Congress to disclose their stock market trades within 45 days. Paul’s disclosure came 16 months late.

Paul’s spokesperson Kelsey Cooper claimed that the initial filing wasn’t properly transmitted, adding that the Pauls lost money on the investment. “Last year Dr. Paul completed the reporting form for an investment made by his wife using her own earnings, an investment which she has lost money on. This was done in the appropriate reporting time window,” she said in a statement.

New of Rand Paul’s financial disclosure quickly took the internet by storm, where politicians and pundits roasted the senator’s duplicitous behavior:

If you are a Kentucky resident who is furious over this double-doubling, then get ready: Paul is running for re-election in 2022. Now would be a great time to register to vote and to donate money to progressive candidates like Charles Booker. Booker’s statement on Paul is below:

(via CNN, image: Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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