As pandemic bore down, Rep. Phil Roe snatched up Zoom shares, unloaded stock in cruise lines
Joel Ebert
Nashville Tennessean
Published 3:05 .m. ET May 26, 2020 | Updated 3:06 p.m. ET May 26, 2020

NASHVILLE — With a global pandemic threatening to hit the United States earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Phil Roe made hundreds of financial transactions, buying stocks in companies now working on vaccines and selling other shares before a historic market plunge in March, according to a review of his financial records by The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.

While it’s unclear if the stock trades were based on information unavailable to the public, Roe's transactions occurred as Trump administration officialsheld pandemic briefings with members of Congress.

The Tennessean’s analysis showed Roe purchased stock in Zoom and Moderna, a leading company working on a coronavirus vaccine, prior to selling shares of Royal Caribbean Cruise and Disney, just days before those two companies shuttered operations due to the pandemic.

The East Tennessee Republican’s flurry of transactions included selling nearly 100 stocks over a two-day period in early March, just days before markets tanked across the globe.

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Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.