A congressional ethics watchdog has concluded there is "substantial reason to believe" that the wife of Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly used nonpublic information gained through her husband's position in Congress to earn thousands of dollars through a well-timed stock purchase, a likely violation of federal law and House rules.

A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics released Oct. 21 detailed the April 2020 purchase of stock in an Ohio steelmaker. The company had threatened to shut down a plant in Kelly's district unless the Trump administration took action that would help make it more competitive—steps the administration took after Kelly, a Republican, and others intervened.

The ethics office has recommended that subpoenas be issued for Kelly, his wife, Victoria, a senior staffer and former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross because they declined to be interviewed or participate in the investigation.

"Victoria Kelly made an uncharacteristic stock purchase … on April 29, 2020 and profited from this purchase. The purchase occurred just after her husband, in the course of his official job duties, learned confidential information about the company," the report states.