Rep. John Curtis accused of insider trading during pandemic by Trent Staggs at Senate debate in Utah

As Monday night’s U.S. Senate Republican primary debate wrapped up, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs leveled the explosive allegation that Rep. John Curtis used his position in Congress for insider trading during the COVID pandemic.

“On March 4 of 2020, Abbott Laboratories was awarded a federal grant. On that same day, John Curtis purchased stock in that company. This is the problem in Congress. At a time when somebody should be looking out for their constituents, they end up looking out for their own profit,” Staggs said.

That accusation drew an angry response from Curtis.

“You accuse me of a felony here tonight,” Curtis shot back. “You better have good evidence, and I’d like to challenge you to produce that evidence that somehow I’ve committed a felony.”

While Curtis did make some well-timed trades at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, those transactions did not violate any laws.

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Video from the Utah Debate Commission and PBS Utah.