SpaceX stock-purchasing by Congress members fuels conflict concerns

Samuel Boivin | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesThree days after SpaceX’s blockbuster public debut, Rep. William Timmons bought as much as $100,000 of the rocket company's stock.The South Carolina Republican chairs a House oversight panel on military and foreign affairs and sits on a financial services subcommittee covering artificial intelligence — two sectors central to Elon Musk's newly public empire.He was not the only member of Congress to buy in.Within six days of the June 12 initial public offering, at least six House members or their immediate families purchased a total of between roughly $83,000 and $245,000 in SpaceX shares, according to a CNBC tally of the amounts reported in House financial disclosures, where transactions are reported in ranges. Joining Timmons were Reps. John McGuire, R-Va., Dan Meuser, R-Pa., Gil Cisneros, D-Calif., John James, R-Mich., and Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.That total reflects the combined minimum and maximum values reported for the six transactions: $50,001 to $100,000 for Timmons; $1,001 to $15,000 for McGuire, Moskowitz and Cisneros; and $15,001 to $50,000 for James and Meuser.That count could rise. House members must report stock trades over $1,000 w...