Candidate supported by Trump makes strong claim at the end of primary debate

Trent Staggs, a U.S. Senate candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, made headlines during a recent Republican primary debate by accusing his opponent, Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, of engaging in insider trading. Staggs alleged that on March 4, 2020, Curtis purchased stock in Abbott Laboratories, a medical device company that had just been awarded federal funding to develop a COVID test.

During his closing statements, Staggs emphasized the need to ban members of Congress and their families from trading individual stocks to prevent conflicts of interest. He also expressed his desire to prevent former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists and enriching themselves after leaving office.

However, Curtis quickly requested an opportunity to respond to the allegations, challenging Staggs to produce evidence of any wrongdoing. Curtis explained that most of his stock purchases, including those in Abbott Laboratories and BlackRock Inc., were made by a mutual fund manager without his direct involvement. These purchases coincided with significant events, such as Abbott’s COVID-19 test approval and BlackRock’s role in directing bond purchases amid economic challenges.

While Curtis downplayed the accusations, Staggs made a name for himself in 2020 by opposing mask mandates during the pandemic. With endorsements from both Trump and Sen. Rand Paul, Staggs aims to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney in the upcoming election.