His disclosures, both from his final year in Congress and his time as Minnesota governor, also show no mutual funds, bonds, private equities, or other securities.
No book deals or speaking fees or crypto or racehorse interests.
Not even real estate. The couple sold their Mankato, Minnesota, home after moving into the governor's mansion, for below the $315k asking price).
Pensions are still indexed to the stock market in a way, it's just someone else who's controlling it for you. And I guess there is meant to be an extra protection of "the government says this is your money, even if they bungle their investment." How that works in the real world, I'm unsure. I imagine lots of days in court.
And pension funds are generally invested broadly enough that the only way a politician could "game" them is to just improve the economy as a whole. Which is like, one of the main things people want their elected officials to do.
He was in the Army National Guard, so would have received those benefits when activated, which he was for short periods aside from normal training requirements, but wouldn’t have as much as you’d think since he only was paid when training or activated. Also, contributions for uniformed service members began in 2001. Also also, it’s optional.
TSP contributions for the uniformed services didn’t start until 2001, it’s optional, and he only would have had deductions when paid for his training periods or any activation periods. The disclosures say no stocks or bonds, and TSP’s investment are only in stocks and bonds.
These disclosures are usually intended to address conflicts of interest and often exempt disclosing mortgages on your primary residence, market index funds, certain types of pensions, etc.