FARGO (KFGO) - North Dakota U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp wants federal investigators to look into reports that Equifax officials sold more than $1.5 million in company securities within days of announcing a cybersecurity breach.
Heitkamp is one of 37 senators who signed a letter that urges the Justice Dept. and federal regulators to investigate potential insider trading.
“This is exactly why people don’t trust major organizations who do this” Heitkamp said. “If they (Equifax) did this -- and it appears that they did, someone needs to go to jail.”
Heitkamp says the data breach could compromise the personal information of up to 143 million Americans, including 248,000 North Dakotans. “Insider trading will not be allowed. When we see it and when we suspect it, we will be making criminal referrals” Heitkamp said.
“I am also dismayed that we have three executives whose response to this was not to protect their customers, but whose response was to protect their pocketbooks.”