Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signs legislation approving $7.5 Million to combat opioid epidemic on September 09, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Source: Photo by Jonathan Aguilar/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service/CatchLight via Getty Images
David Crowley proposes ban on insider trading and prediction markets for elected officials
Sep 15, 2026, 4:26 PM CT
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The Democratic nominee for Wisconsin governor, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, announced a new anti-corruption policy on Monday that would ban public officials from participating in prediction markets and limit stock trades.
“State elected officials—whether they be governors, legislators, or regulators—are there to do public service, not sit in public office,” Crowley said in a statement. “They are there to use their offices to help people. What it should not be is a vehicle to get rich by gaming the system. We see that running rampant in Washington right now, while Wisconsinites are facing higher costs on everything from gas to groceries to healthcare. While we suffer, they profit. While the majority in Congress has failed to hold the President or Washington accountable, we can demand transparency and accountability from our state government. That’s why, as the next governor of Wisconsin and as part of my very first state budget, I will include four measures that will stop elected officials from profiteering off their office and instead focus on public service.”
Crowley has four policy positions. First, he wants to ban all public officials in the state from insider trading by requiring investments either be in a diversified (mutual or index) fund or a blind trust. Elected officials would be banned from trading individual stocks or profiting from insider information.
The second proposal bans elected officials and their employees from participating in prediction markets, like Kalshi or Polymarket.
Crowley also looks to crack down on public officials who leave office and then go work for utility and energy companies. His proposal calls for a two-year ban on employment from these companies after leaving public office.
Lastly, Crowley looks to propose transparency by ensuring public records are not deleted and closing a loophole that stops information from being disseminated to journalists and the public.
A bold set of promises from the county executive with less than 50 days to go until the election.
Drake Bentley is the general assignment reporter for the Milwaukee Courier, covering politics, sports and the community. He is an award-winning investigative journalist who has worked for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin State Journal, Newsweek, Heavy and The Sporting News. He is a northside Milwaukee native, former political staffer and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Nebraska.
