Who is Stephen Buyer? Former Indiana Republican congressman pardoned by Trump in insider trading case | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Stephen Buyer, a former Republican congressman from Indiana who was convicted of insider trading in 2023 and sentenced to nearly two years in prison.
The pardon, announced by the White House, erases the federal conviction of Buyer, who maintained his innocence during the trial.
Who is Stephen Buyer?
Stephen Buyer, 67, is a retired Republican politician who represented Indiana in the US House of Representatives from 1993 to 2011. During his congressional career, he served in Indiana’s 4th and later 5th congressional districts and became a prominent voice on veterans’ and military affairs.
Born in Rensselaer, Indiana, Buyer graduated from The Citadel with a degree in business administration in 1980 and a law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1984.
Before entering politics, Buyer served in the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) and later remained active in the Army Reserve. During the 1990-91 Gulf War, he was called to active duty and provided legal advice to military commanders.
Congressional career
Kupec was first elected to Congress in 1992 at the age of 33 and served nine terms in the House of Representatives.
– Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee from 2005 to 2007
-A regular member of the Veterans Affairs Committee during subsequent Congresses
– Member of the House Committee on Energy and Trade
– Member of the House Committee on Armed Forces
-Founder and Co-Chairman of the National Guard and Reserve Forces Committee
He gained national attention in 1999 when he served as one of the House managers, essentially a prosecutor, during the impeachment trial of former President Bill Clinton.
Buyer announced in 2010 that he would not seek a tenth term, citing a desire to spend more time with his wife, who was battling an incurable autoimmune disease.
Insider trading conviction
After leaving Congress, Buyer worked as a consultant and lobbyist.
Federal prosecutors alleged that in 2018 he used confidential information obtained through his consulting work to buy Sprint stock before its merger with T-Mobile US was publicly announced.
Prosecutors also accused him of trading shares in Navigant Consulting before its acquisition by Guidehouse became public.
According to court filings, the buyer made more than $350,000 in illegal profits from the transactions. A jury convicted him of four counts of securities fraud in 2023, and he was sentenced to 22 months in prison, ordered to forfeit profits and fined $10,000.
The United States Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in 2026.
Why did Trump pardon him?
Trump granted the buyer a “full, complete and unconditional pardon,” citing his military and congressional service as “distinguished and highly productive.”
The pardon followed lobbying efforts by dozens of current and former Republican lawmakers who argued that Buyer had been unfairly prosecuted. Some supporters have called the case politically motivated, a claim the buyer has reiterated while continuing to deny wrongdoing.
A pardon will not erase the Buyer’s conviction history, but will restore his civil rights and remove the legal penalties associated with a federal crime.
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