There is no shortage of suspicious stock trades coming from senior U.S. politicians in 2026, and though Secretary of Defense – or of War – Pete Hegseth drew the bulk of attention for his alleged stock market activity ahead of the Iran war, one Congressman quietly made a killing in the equity markets.

Specifically, Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey’s 5th congressional district made two investments in the oil giant Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) worth up to $30,000 early in February.

Since the first trade was made on the second day of the month, XOM stock rallied 16.11% from $138.40 to $160.69. The second purchase was executed two days later, and Exxon shares soared 8.88% since.

Thus, Representative Gottheimer is already up more than 12% on his suspicious trade while the wider stock market – as tracked by the benchmark S&P 500 index – declined 5.64%.

Why Representative Gottheimer’s XOM stock trade is highly suspicious

Along with the Exxon Mobil stock trades coming mere weeks before the Iran war started and plunged the global energy markets into chaos, the investments are curious due to the Congressman’s committee and subcommittee assignments.

Specifically, Representative Josh Gottheimer holds a series of key positions, including seats at the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Financial Services, with its National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Subcommittee being his most relevant appointment.

Indeed, under the circumstances, there is credible suspicion that the politician might have been forewarned about President Donald Trump’s intentions. 

Why the February Congressional Exxon stock trade might not be suspicious

Still, a hallmark of the ongoing Iran war is that it came as a surprise to most of the world equally due to the initial attack taking place in the midst of negotiations that are widely reported as progressing well,  and due to critical U.S. allies not getting a heads-up.

President Donald Trump infamously fired back against the Japanese Prime Minister regarding the lack of early warning by referencing the 1941 Pearl Harbour attack.

Under the circumstances, it is not out of the question that many within the U.S. were as surprised by the decision to go to war against Iran as most without.

Furthermore, the two investments in Exxon Mobil can also be interpreted as resulting from the energy sector’s performance in 2026. 

Big oil has been doing exceedingly well for months due to a mix of factors, including the current U.S. administration’s ‘drill baby drill’ policy and the military operation in Venezuela – one of the richest countries in the world in terms of black gold – early in January.

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