Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat helping write his party's artificial intelligence agenda, has disclosed new purchases of AI-linked stocks — just months after voting to ban lawmakers and their families from buying individual shares.
The New Jersey Democrat disclosed an Oct. 12 purchase of between $1,001 and $15,000 of Benchmark Electronics stock, according to a filing released this week. His jointly owned Morgan Stanley account also bought up to $15,000 worth of Applied Materials shares on Oct. 26, following three earlier purchases of leading AI chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices.
While there's no evidence of wrongdoing, the trades put Gottheimer's investments in the spotlight as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress in January, gaining new power to regulate and investigate the AI industry.
Gottheimer, a former Microsoft executive, sits on the House Financial Services subcommittee overseeing AI in finance, has introduced legislation on AI regulations and co-chairs a commission developing Democrats' broader AI agenda.
Gottheimer's spokesman, Haraden Bottomley, said the congressman turned over control of his investments to a third party with "full investment discretion" before ...