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Sen. Alan Armstrong disclosed 700 stock trades two months past STOCK Act deadline

Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.), who joined the Senate on March 24, 2026, disclosed roughly 700 personal stock trades worth between $3.24 million and $16.05 million more than two months after the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline, according to a NOTUS review of new congressional financial-disclosure records published July 27, 2026. The trades, made in the days after his swearing-in, included purchases in Apple, Alphabet, Berkshire Hathaway, and Nvidia, plus federal contractors BAE Systems, GE Aerospace, Palantir, and RTX, and a sale of government-contractor Corning stock. Armstrong's office acknowledged the late filing but did not answer questions about any fine paid or contact with the Senate Ethics Committee, and denied any conflict of interest.

Jurisdiction
Federal
Location
Washington, D.C.

Abuses documented

Actors

  • Alan Armstrong (U.S. Senator, R-OK)

On July 27, 2026, a NOTUS review of newly released congressional financial-disclosure records revealed that Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.), who entered the Senate on March 24, 2026 after Markwayne Mullin left to become homeland security secretary, disclosed roughly 700 personal stock trades worth between $3.24 million and $16.05 million more than two months after the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline. Armstrong, a former oil-and-gas executive who led Williams Companies, made a flurry of purchases and sales in the days immediately after his swearing-in, including at least $250,000 in Apple shares, at least $50,000 each in Alphabet, Berkshire Hathaway, and Nvidia, and stakes in at least 70 other companies, among them federal defense contractors BAE Systems, GE Aerospace, Palantir, and RTX. His late-disclosed sales included $100,000 in glassmaker and government contractor Corning and at least $50,000 each in FedEx, Home Depot, Phillips 66, and Pfizer.

The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, a bipartisan law Congress passed in 2012 and President Obama signed, requires members of Congress to publicly report covered securities transactions within 45 days so the public can see potential conflicts of interest close in time to when they arise. Armstrong did not file until the week of July 27, 2026 — the same week the House passed a bill to bar members of Congress from trading individual stocks altogether. His disclosure listed only two trades made within the STOCK Act's window: June sales of Williams Companies stock and stock options.

Christine Harbin, an Armstrong spokesperson, acknowledged the late disclosure but did not answer NOTUS's questions about why it came late, whether Armstrong paid the standard $200 late-filing fine, or whether he had contacted the Senate Ethics Committee, which polices STOCK Act compliance and likewise did not respond to questions. Asked about a possible conflict of interest, Harbin said the March transactions were initiated by a third-party advisor implementing a direct-indexing strategy and denied any conflict tied to Armstrong's continued Williams Companies holdings. Armstrong is barred by Oklahoma law from seeking a full Senate term and is due to leave office in January when a new Congress convenes.

Why we recorded this

The STOCK Act requires members of Congress to publicly disclose covered stock trades within 45 days, so the public can see in near-real time whether an official's personal financial position aligns with the policy decisions that official makes. Sen. Alan Armstrong disclosed roughly 700 trades — including purchases in federal defense contractors BAE Systems, GE Aerospace, Palantir, and RTX — more than two months after that deadline, and his office did not answer questions about any fine paid or contact with the Senate Ethics Committee. This archive records when a disclosure law meant to keep officials' finances visible to voters instead lets months pass in silence.

Sources

  1. Sen. Alan Armstrong Violated STOCK Act With 700 Tardy Stock Disclosures — NOTUS primary accessed July 28, 2026
  2. Sen. Alan Armstrong violated STOCK act with 700 tardy stock disclosures — Public Radio Tulsa (NPR) secondary accessed July 28, 2026

See also