Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) called for an ethics probe of Rep. Tom Price, MD, who is President-elect Donald Trump's pick to head HHS, which could delay his confirmation hearing, according to a report in The Washington Times.
Sen. Schumer called on the Office of Congressional Ethics to conduct an investigation of Rep. Price's stock trading history, indicating that he "may have engaged in insider trading based on secrets he knew as a member of Congress."
Rep. Price is chairman of the Budget Committee and was a member of the Ways and Means Committee; during his service, The Washington Times reported he made "hundreds of thousands of dollars in transactions that involved health sector companies."
Sen. Schumer alleged Rep. Price's position could have given him insider knowledge on the healthcare market, but also said he didn't have evidence of wrongdoing.
If the Office of Congressional Ethics does conduct an investigation, Rep. Price's confirmation hearings could be delayed.