Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Capitol Hill for more than two months due to an undisclosed health issue, missing every House roll-call vote since early March. Yet while his constituents have been left wondering when their congressman will return to work, newly released financial disclosures reveal that Kean remained active in another area: trading stocks.
According to congressional records, Kean bought and sold shares in eight different companies between March 10 and March 31, even as he remained absent from the House of Representatives. The transactions involved major corporations including Johnson & Johnson, Amcor, Chubb Limited, and First Citizens BancShares.
The combined value of those trades ranged from approximately $58,000 to as much as $190,000, according to disclosure forms. Notably, the filings were personally certified by Kean through a digital signature on April 13.
The revelations have fueled questions about transparency and accountability, particularly given the congressman’s prolonged absence from Washington.
Kean last cast a vote in Congress on March 5, 2026. Since then, he has missed every roll-call vote conducted by the House. Records also show he missed roughly 20 percent of votes during the first three months of the year before disappearing entirely from the voting schedule.
While Kean has attributed his absence to an illness, few details have been provided publicly. Constituents and political observers have been left largely in the dark regarding the nature of his condition and the timeline for his return.
Recently, however, Kean told a reporter that he expects to return to Capitol Hill soon and anticipates making a full recovery. He also indicated that additional information about his health may be disclosed at a later date.
Still, critics argue that the lack of transparency has become increasingly difficult to ignore.
The situation is especially notable because Kean entered Congress in 2023 promising to champion ethics reform. After defeating Democrat Tom Malinowski—a lawmaker who faced scrutiny over stock-trading disclosure issues—Kean pledged to place his substantial personal assets into a congressionally approved blind trust.
That promise, however, was never fulfilled.
Instead, Kean has continued trading individual stocks while simultaneously supporting legislation aimed at restricting certain stock-trading practices by members of Congress. For many voters, the contrast between rhetoric and reality raises uncomfortable questions.
Adding to the intrigue, reports indicate that while Kean has largely been out of contact with many of his Republican colleagues in Washington, he has remained engaged enough to sign official documents. Records show he approved travel authorizations for his chief of staff on March 13 and March 14—during the same period he was absent from congressional duties.
Meanwhile, local Republican leaders insist Kean is doing well.
Union County GOP Chairman Carlos Santos reportedly said the congressman “sounded good” during a phone conversation, while Somerset County Republican Chair Tracy DiFrancesco stated that Kean is “perfectly fine” and expected to return to campaigning in the near future.
That return may need to happen sooner rather than later.
Kean is facing reelection in New Jersey’s competitive 7th Congressional District, where Democrats are already battling for their party’s nomination. His consultant has confirmed that Kean intends to seek another term despite his extended absence.
For voters, however, the central question remains unanswered: if a member of Congress is healthy enough to manage investment activity and sign official paperwork, why has he been unable to represent his constituents on the House floor for more than two months?
As Election Day approaches, that question is unlikely to go away.
