(DENVER) – Yesterday morning an indictment of insider trading was announced against Congressman Chris Collins (R-NY). Collins is accused of using insider information of a biotech company to avoid financial losses to family members. The Collins case has sparked a renewed interest in the personal financial dealings of Congressman Jared Polis during his time in office.

As a newly minted Congressman, Jared Polis was an outspoken proponent of Obamacare. Yet, at the same time, he was using his position in office to increase government control in health care, he was investing millions of his personal dollars in a company that engaged in “medical tourism.” Medical tourism companies help Americans travel overseas to procure health care and medical procedures in other countries. Jared Polis was effectively betting with his personal money more people would need or want their health care outside the U.S. while promoting Obamacare – which increased health care costs to families domestically.

This investment was criticized by both the left and the right. It was outlined by conservative author Peter Schweitzer in his book “Throw Them All Out” where he referred to it as, “one of the more creative and cynical plays on health care reform. In addition, the Center for Responsive Politics called Polis’ investments “problematic”, and the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a traditionally liberal activist group, in Washington said it “seems inappropriate.”

“Ultimately, we saw Jared Polis spent his time in Congress making his large fortune even larger off the backs of the same people who were harmed with his votes,” said Kelly Maher, executive director of Compass Colorado. “He was betting with his own money against the success of the very thing he was voting for as a Congressman. Now he’s running on a complete government takeover of our healthcare system. I wonder how much more personal wealth he would make off the implementation of his latest proposal?”

###