Hint: Also blocked nearly all military promotions for almost a year.
Impeccable timing? Senator sells all his Apple stock before lawsuit
Two months before the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) opened a lawsuit against Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) for monopolizing smartphone markets, US Senator Tommy Tuberville sold his entire Apple stock, which was worth around half a million dollars.
Indeed, on January 19, Senator Tuberville sold all of his $500,000 stake in Apple, and the price of the AAPL stock has declined by 10% since he did so, according to the observations by the Nancy Pelosi Stock Tracker powered by the Autopilot app on March 21.
More on Tommy Tuberville:
According to a New York Times article (shared) dated December 5, 2023, Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, had blocked nearly all military promotions for almost a year in protest of a Pentagon policy ensuring abortion access for service members. However, he lifted his blockade on most of these promotions, allowing about 440 service members’ promotions to move forward. Senator Tuberville stated that he would continue to block only the most senior generals.
His decision to lift the blockade came after pressure from senators in both parties. Senators devised a plan to temporarily bypass the chamber’s rules to confirm almost all military nominees at once, which prompted Tuberville to reconsider his stance.
Tuberville’s blockade had significant consequences, disrupting the Pentagon’s ability to fill its top ranks and leaving hundreds of promotions in limbo. President Biden criticized Tuberville’s actions, stating they harmed service members and military families and threatened national security.
Tuberville defended his actions, stating he was fighting against executive overreach and for the rights of the unborn. He indicated that he would maintain his holds on promotions for “everybody but the 10 or 11 four-stars,” referring to four-star generals.
Both Republicans and Democrats expressed relief at Tuberville’s decision to lift the blockade on most promotions, with Senator Jack Reed stating that it was “long overdue.” However, officials at the Pentagon urged Tuberville to also drop his holds on senior military promotions.
The Pentagon’s policy, which Tuberville opposed, allows service members to take leave and be reimbursed for transportation expenses if they must travel to obtain an abortion or certain fertility treatments due to the unavailability of such procedures where they are based. This policy aims to provide equal access to healthcare for military personnel despite variations in state abortion laws.
The article underscores the impact of Tuberville’s actions on the military promotion process and the political and ideological tensions surrounding issues such as abortion rights within the military.
