Washington, D.C. — Senior White House officials sold off shares in former President Donald Trump’s media company just days before the U.S. imposed new import tariffs in early April, raising questions about potential use of insider information.
According to financial disclosures reviewed by Business Insider, Dan Scavino, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff, sold shares in Trump Media and Technology Group — the parent company of Truth Social — valued between $1 million and $5 million. Meanwhile, Sergio Gor, head of the presidential personnel office, offloaded shares worth between $15,000 and $50,000.
The transactions reportedly occurred just before Trump publicly announced sweeping tariffs targeting foreign imports — a move that could have negatively impacted market sentiment and stock performance.
The exact dates and volumes of the trades are not detailed in the publicly available disclosures. It’s also unclear whether Scavino and Gor were required, like other officials such as former Attorney General Pam Bondi, to divest from Trump-linked entities while serving in government.
Some observers suggest the officials may have acted on advance knowledge of the tariff plans to avoid financial losses — a scenario that, if proven, could raise ethical or even legal concerns.
Neither the White House nor Trump Media has commented publicly on the reports.
