GOP lawmakers urge Trump to pardon soldier accused of winning big bets on Maduro’s capture
by Jeff Mordock · The Washington TimesSeveral GOP lawmakers have urged President Trump to pardon the U.S. Army soldier accused of using classified information about former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s capture to win more than $400,000 through bets placed on online prediction markets.
Federal prosecutors say Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, an active-duty Special Forces soldier who was involved in the planning and execution of Mr. Maduro’s capture in January, used his access to classified information to place a series of wagers about the operation on Polymarket, one of the several sites for betting on real-world events.
Sgt. Van Dyke was indicted on three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, one count of wire fraud and one count of an unlawful money transaction.
The case is believed to be the first time the Justice Department has prosecuted an insider trading case based on a prediction betting market wager.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Florida Republican, said that unless the Justice Department intends to bring charges against “all the crooks in Congress” who are also involved in insider trading, then the criminal complaint against Sgt. Van Dyke is “simply skewed justice.”
“There is no ‘justice’ when guys like this get the book thrown at him yet members are illegally profiting every day,” she said on social media. “I don’t agree with what he did and he should be required to disgorge all the profits; however, unless the DOJ plans on doing Congress next, this is not justice.”
SEE ALSO: DOJ says Green Beret used classified information to make Polymarket bets on Maduro mission
Ms. Luna pointed to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat whose stock trades have raised questions for years. Ms. Pelosi has become exponentially wealthier over her political rise to speaker of the House. Stock trades made by her husband, Paul Pelosi, a venture capitalist, were so lucrative they spawned websites that followed his trades.
Ms. Pelosi has never been charged with a crime.
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“Nancy Pelosi, for example, made over 17,000% returns on her investments. She outperformed Warren Buffett. Is she facing 50 to 60 years in prison? No,” Ms Luna continued. “How about the other members of Congress who, on average, 600% returns if they are individually stock trading, outperforming the S&P?”
Other lawmakers agreed.
“I think this guy should be pardoned,” Rep. Jimmy Patronis, Florida Republican, wrote on social media. “If the DOJ isn’t prepared to go after every member of Congress who’s profiting off insider trading, then this feels like selective enforcement, not justice.
“I don’t support what he did and should absolutely have to give back every dollar he made. But holding one person accountable while others get a pass undermines the ideal of equal justice under the law. POTUS should make this decision at his discretion, not the DOJ.”
Rep. Chip Roy, Texas Republican, did not go so far as to ask for a pardon, but he wrote on X: “Congress should set the tone and pass our bill to ban congressional stock trading.”
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“President Trump is the ultimate decider on any pardons or commutations. We have no announcements to share at this time,” A White House official told The Washington Times.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump appeared to shrug off concerns over government workers using classified information to make bets.
“That’s like Pete Rose betting on his own team,” the president said when learning that Sgt. Van Dyke bet that Maduro would be captured. “If he bet against his team, that would be no good.
“The world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino,” he said. “I was never much in favor of it. I don’t like it, conceptually, but it is what it is. I’m not happy with any of that stuff.”
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• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.