Rick Perry Suggests Legislators Should Be Jailed for Insider Trading

Rick Perry sent a harsh message to Congress in a new video today, suggesting that any legislators who engage in insider trading should be put in jail and urged Congress to pass a law outlining this immediately.

“Congress certainly can’t be trusted to watch our money, and now it’s clear they can’t be trusted with theirs.  Any congressman or senator that uses their insider knowledge to profit in the stock market ought to be sent to jail.  Period,” Perry says in the 25-second video.  ”And Congress ought to pass a law that says so right now.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  I’m Rick Perry and I approve this message.”

Perry’s video, which is featured on his website and his YouTube channel, comes in response to a “60 Minutes” report that aired Sunday examining whether members of Congress were trading stock based on insider knowledge they’ve received while working on Capitol Hill.

Perry is the first presidential candidate to comment on this report.