Rand Paul Files Disclosure 16 Months Late Showing Wife Invested In Remdesivir Maker

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) reportedly disclosed Wednesday that his wife bought stock in Gilead Sciences, which makes an antiviral drug used to treat the coronavirus, just weeks before the full threat of the COVID-19 pandemic came to public light.

According to The Washington Post, Paul filed paperwork to show that his wife, Kelley Paul, invested in Gilead in Feb. 2020. The pharmaceutical company makes remdesivir, an antiviral drug that was given to former President Donald Trump when he tested positive for COVID-19 in October. Paul is a member of the Senate health committee, which began receiving briefings on COVID-19 in Jan. 2020.

Paul’s disclosure came 16 months after the deadline mandated by the Stock Act, which requires lawmakers to report such details within 45 days to prevent insider trading. 

Kelsey Cooper, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Republican, told the Post that Paul filled out the disclosure form for his wife last year, but determined recently that it hadn’t been transmitted. Paul spoke with the Senate Ethics Committee about the error and filed a supplemental report on Wednesday. 

Kelley Paul lost money on the investment, valued between $1,000 and $15,000, Cooper added.

“In the process of preparing to file his annual financial disclosure for last year, he learned that the form was not transmitted and promptly alerted the filing office and requested their guidance. In accordance with that guidance, he filed both reports today,” Cooper told CNN.