What is the story about?
WASHINGTON,
April 10 (Reuters) - Two Democratic U.S. senators have called on the federal commodities markets watchdog to investigate lucrative recent trading activity on oil markets since March 23 that closely coincided with White House moves in the Iran war, adding to pressure from opposition party members on possible insider trading, according to a letter released Friday.
* The letters from Senator Elizabeth Warren, the topDemocrat on the Senate Banking Committee, and Senator SheldonWhitehouse, cited reporting by Reuters and other news outlets onunusually large commodity and equities trades that closelypreceded major White House decisions on Iran, Venezuela andtariff impositions, which experts said was suspicious. * Representatives for the U.S. Commodity Futures TradingCommission did not immediately respond to a request for commentbut the agency's new enforcement director said last month thatpolicing insider trading would be a priority. * The White House has denied wrongdoing and said Thursday ithad warned staff against leveraging inside information. * "This is now a recurring concern during the Trumpadministration," the letter, dated Thursday, said, calling onthe CFTC to furnish answers to series of questions aboutinvestigative steps and market surveillance. * The letter follows last week's query from DemocraticSenators Mark Warner and Adam Schiff to the Securities andExchange Commission and Defense Department Inspector General,raising similar questions.(Reporting by Douglas Gillison in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
