How a Nevada Congresswoman Turned Public Service Into Personal Profit
Overview
Susie Lee came to Congress from a working-class background. Today, her net worth reaches as high as $21.8 million. A pattern of stock trades, legislative actions, and strategic personal decisions suggests this wealth wasn’t accumulated by accident—it was engineered through her position in Congress.
The evidence shows:
- Self-dealing legislation: Lee purchased stock in companies, then authored bills directing hundreds of millions in federal dollars to those same companies.
- Suspiciously timed trades: Lee or her ex-husband sold nearly $1 million in casino stock weeks before the company’s earnings collapsed—saving an estimated $300,000.
- A manufactured divorce shield: When ethics investigations began, Lee announced a divorce she didn’t file for seven months—and didn’t finalize for over three years—using it to deflect accountability while continuing to benefit from joint assets.
- Exposed positions on defense stocks: Lee purchased shares in a German defense contractor through her role on a military subcommittee, just as Germany announced massive defense spending increases.
This isn’t a story about technical violations or gray areas. It’s a pattern of a congresswoman using her office, her committee assignments, her legislative power, and even her marriage to systematically enrich herself at the expense of Nevada voters.
Analysis: A Chronological Record
2020: The PPP Scheme
As COVID-19 devastated the casino industry, Susie Lee successfully advocated for casinos to become eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program—taxpayer-funded relief originally designed for small businesses.
The result: Full House Resorts, where her husband Dan Lee served as CEO, secured $5.6 million in federal funds.
Dan Lee’s compensation tells the story. In 2020, before PPP funds arrived, his total compensation was $731,000. The following year, after receiving federal money his wife helped make possible, it more than tripled to nearly $2.6 million.
May 2021: The Divorce Announcement
When ethics watchdogs and journalists at the New York Times and Mother Jones began investigating the PPP arrangement, Lee faced serious problems. Multiple ethics complaints were filed.
Then, in May 2021, Lee made a public announcement: she was ending her marriage.
This created a convenient shield. When confronted about financial dealings involving her husband’s company, Lee could now point to the pending divorce and distance herself from his business decisions.
But she didn’t actually file for divorce.
December 2021: The Delayed Filing
Seven months after her public announcement, Lee finally filed for divorce in December 2021.
During those seven months, she remained legally married. She continued to benefit from joint assets. She continued to hold millions in joint accounts, including over $5 million in Full House stock.
The announcement had served its purpose: deflecting ethics scrutiny. The actual legal process could wait.
Source: Free Beacon: Rep. Susie Lee Didn’t Get Divorced for More Than Three Years
June 2022: The Evoqua Water Technologies Trade
Representative Lee purchased stock in Evoqua Water Technologies. She then authored legislation that would funnel hundreds of millions of federal taxpayer dollars toward water recycling projects—projects Evoqua is positioned to profit from.
When her legislation passed as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, her Evoqua stock soared in value.
Lee claims a money manager made the trades without her knowledge. But that’s irrelevant—she could see her account balance and knew exactly what stock she owned while writing legislation to benefit that company.
Evoqua even lobbied her office on the very bill that would enrich them.
Source: Mother Jones: Susie Lee Congress Stocks Water Recycling
September 2024: The Divorce Finalized
More than three years after announcing her divorce—and nearly three years after filing—Lee finally completed the process in September 2024.
The timing was not accidental. The divorce was finalized weeks before the November 2024 election, ensuring Lee wouldn’t have to disclose her new financial holdings until after voters went to the polls.
The terms of the settlement remain sealed. The public doesn’t know how assets were divided, what Lee retained, or the full picture of her post-divorce finances. That disclosure won’t come until August 2025—months after the election she won.
August 2025: The Full House Stock Dump
Representative Lee or her ex-husband dumped nearly $1 million worth of casino stock just weeks before Full House Resorts announced terrible earnings and the stock crashed 25%.
The timing was precise. By selling at that exact moment, Lee saved herself approximately $300,000.
Lee also purchased stock in an obscure German defense company that has since tripled in value—around the time she learned through her military subcommittee position that Germany was about to massively increase defense spending.
When her office was asked to comment on the Full House trade, they refused.
Source: Casino.org: Las Vegas Congresswoman Lee or Ex-Husband Dumped Casino Stock Before Big Sell-Off
January 2026: Priorities Revealed
Lee’s recent legislative positions continue to raise questions about whose interests she represents.
On border security: Lee voted against funding the federal government because she demanded provisions to defund ICE and weaken immigration enforcement—siding with activist pressure over law enforcement at a time when fentanyl is devastating Nevada communities.
Source: Nevada Globe: Nevada Democrats Vote to Defund ICE
On travel security: Lee opposed DHS enhanced vetting procedures for foreign visitors, arguing the rules are “excessive.” Her position prioritizes casino and hospitality industry profits over security measures that allies like Australia and Canada use successfully.
Source: NewsNet5: Nevada Lawmakers Oppose DHS Tourist Entry Rules
On accountability: As Nevada voters reject the policies Lee supported—spending bills that fueled inflation, opposition to tax relief, and border policies that created chaos—Lee has turned to publicly criticizing her own party. This isn’t a principled awakening. It’s a calculated move by a vulnerable incumbent who sees the political winds shifting.
Source: Nevada Globe: Susie Lee Panics as Nevada Turns Red
Why This Matters
The Pattern Is Clear
This isn’t about one questionable trade or a single ethics complaint. The evidence reveals a systematic approach:
- Use legislative power for personal profit. Purchase stock, then write bills that benefit those companies with federal money.
- Use family connections to multiply gains. Advocate for policies that enrich a spouse’s company, then share in the windfall.
- Use personal life events as legal shields. Announce a divorce to deflect ethics investigations, but delay the actual process for years while continuing to benefit from joint assets.
- Use timing to avoid accountability. Finalize financial changes just before elections, keeping the details hidden until after voters decide.
- Use insider knowledge for trading advantage. Sell stock before bad news hits; buy stock before good news arrives—with timing that defies coincidence.
What This Reveals About Character
When a politician lies about something as fundamental as the status of her marriage—specifically to dodge ethics scrutiny—what can voters trust?
Lee announced a divorce in May 2021 to deflect from ethics allegations. She didn’t file for seven months. She didn’t finalize for over three years. She positioned herself as escaping a problematic relationship while continuing to benefit from that relationship’s assets.
If Lee will deceive the public about her personal life to evade accountability, what other deceptions is she capable of?
The Bottom Line
Susie Lee’s net worth has grown to as much as $21.8 million on a congressional salary of $174,000 per year.
She directed taxpayer money to her husband’s company. She bought stock and then wrote legislation benefiting that stock. She sold stock at suspiciously perfect moments. She used a fake divorce announcement as a shield against ethics investigations. She timed her actual divorce to hide financial details from voters.
This isn’t public service. It’s self-service—dressed up in legislative language and protected by legal maneuvering.
Nevada voters deserve a representative who puts constituents first. They deserve honesty. They deserve integrity.
The record shows Susie Lee has provided none of these things.
Sources
- Net Worth Data: Quiver Quantitative - Susie Lee Congressional Trading
- Evoqua Water Technologies / Water Recycling Legislation: Mother Jones - June 2022
- Full House Resorts Stock Sale: Casino.org - August 2025
- DHS Travel Vetting Opposition: NewsNet5 - January 2026
- ICE Funding Vote: Nevada Globe - January 2026
- Political Positioning: Nevada Globe - January 2026
- Divorce Timeline: Free Beacon