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Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to LinkedinTopline Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) may have violated House ethics rules on Wednesday by calling on the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate protests against Tesla–a company in which she has a financial interest, buying stock in it as recently as last week.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), chair of the subcommittee on Delivering On Government … [+] Efficiency (DOGE), listens during a hearing in February. (Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images Key Facts Greene owned less than $1,000 in Tesla stock at the end of 2023, but beginning in September 2024–amid Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s increasingly vocal support for Donald Trump–she went on a buying spree, making nine purchases totaling between $9,000 and $135,000, according to disclosures she filed with the House Clerk’s Office.

After Trump won the presidency and the GOP clinched control of Congress, Greene announced she would chair a new House Oversight subcommittee supervising Musk’s work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Five of Greene’s Tesla stock purchases came after that appointment, the most recent of which was $1,000 to $15,000 worth of shares on March 7.

Protests targeting Tesla—ranging from peaceful demonstrations to arson and gunfire—have appeared across the country, seemingly fueled by concerns over Musk’s deep cuts to federal government staff and spending.

On Wednesday, Greene–in her capacity as chair of the DOGE subcommittee–wrote to the Justice Department and the FBI, calling on the agencies “to prioritize a thorough investigation” into what she called “the recent wave of organized attacks targeting Elon Musk and Tesla car dealerships, charging stations, and vehicles across the country.”

After this article was published, Nick Dyer, a spokesperson for Greene, responded to Forbes’ earlier inquiry: “It’s about domestic terrorist attacks, Zach. You are nothing more than a Democrat troll. Enough out of you.”

Crucial Quote According to the House’s code of conduct, “A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not receive compensation and may not permit compensation to accrue to the beneficial interest of such individual from any source, the receipt of which would occur by virtue of influence improperly exerted from the position of such individual in Congress.”

Chief Critic “The letter could raise a serious ethics issue for Representative Greene,” Brett Kappel, an attorney specializing in campaign finance, told Forbes. “House ethics rules prohibit a member from taking any official action that would benefit her own financial interest.” Kappel cited a 2012 House ethics investigation into Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) that found she violated the law by “improperly using her official position for her beneficial interest” by helping her husband’s medical practice obtain payments from government agencies that he believed he was owed.

Big Number Greene’s stake in Tesla is likely valued between $7,400 and $116,000, as of Wednesday’s close, based on congressional disclosure rules that require lawmakers to report holdings only in broad ranges. Her investments, however, have likely lost value—Tesla closed at $248.09 on Wednesday, below the stock’s lowest price on six of the nine days she bought shares.

Crucial Quote “🚨Attacks on Tesla must be investigated as domestic terrorism! 🚨,” Greene wrote Wednesday on X (formerly Twitter) in a post sharing her letter. “Today, my @DOGECommittee colleagues and I sent a letter to @AGPamBondi and @FBIDirectorKash asking for an investigation into the wave of organized attacks targeting @elonmusk, @Tesla, and the @DOGE effort. Who is behind it? Who is funding it? Is there a link with Democrat-leaning NGOs? We look forward to exposing these terrorists and bringing them to justice!”

What To Watch For In January, Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) and Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) filed the No Corruption in Government Act, which would ban House members and their spouses from holding, purchasing or selling stocks, bonds, options and other securities while in office. The bill is in committee.

Surprising Fact In June 2024, Greene introduced an amendment to the defense budget seeking to ban federal funds from being used on electrical vehicles or electrical vehicle infrastructure.

Tangent Before joining Congress in 2021, Greene held between $15,000 and $50,000 in Tesla stock. By the end of 2022, the value of her holdings had dwindled to less than $1,000—likely due to her divorce settlement that year.

Forbes Valuation Despite Tesla’s plummeting stock price, Elon Musk remains far and away the wealthiest person in the world, worth an estimated $327 billion.

Further Viewing Further Reading Trump SPAC Investor Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Plugging Truth Social (Forbes)

A Timeline Of Elon Musk’s Terrible 24 Hours—A Dark Day For X, Tesla And More (Forbes)

JPMorgan’s Scathing Tesla Prediction: Musk’s Car Company Will Report Worst Quarterly Deliveries In 3 Years (Forbes)

Why Tesla Isn’t The AI Powerhouse Musk Says It Is (Forbes)

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