4 members of Congress who're amongst a whole lot of lawmakers focused in retaliatory sanctions by Russia have been beforehand named in a report detailing their stakes in Russian firms.

Reps Josh Gottheimer [D-NJ], Ro Khanna [D-CA], Peter Meijer [R-MI] and Susie Lee [D-NV] have been included within the Russian International Ministry's listing of 398 members of the Home of Representatives who're being hit with "mirror" sanctions.

Russia mentioned the transfer was in response to the most recent "wave" of sanctions introduced on by President Joe Biden in response to the nation's invasion of Ukraine in late February.

On March 24, Biden issued sanctions towards 328 members of Russia's legislative physique, the Duma, in addition to Duma itself.

The information of the sanctions from Russia, which doesn't point out any wrongdoing, arrived after Gottheimer, Meijer, Lee and Khanna featured in an Insider report noting how they, or their spouses, had invested cash in Russian firms.

The report printed March 1 notes the members of Congress weren't doing something unlawful by investing in public firms, and others had even offered their belongings.

However, it may very well be seen as a battle of curiosity given the U.S. lately started issuing sanctions towards Russia, and Congress is wanting into banning lawmakers from buying and selling particular person shares.

Gottheimer owns as much as $30,000 price of American depository receipts in Russian fossil gas firm Lukoil, and bought $15,000 of receipts as lately as February 2021, in response to submitting of his funds.

Gottheimer additionally owns as much as $15,000 price of inventory in Yandex, a Russian web providers firm, and reported that he earned as much as $2,500 in capital features from the inventory in 2020, in response to federal filings.

In an announcement, Gottheimer spokesperson Chris D'Aloia mentioned the congressman turned over administration of his portfolio to a 3rd occasion after he took workplace and at present solely receives statements of prior transactions.

"All selections associated to purchasing and promoting of securities are performed so with out Josh's approval," D'Aloia added.

Meijer additionally reported proudly owning as much as $15,000 in Yandex shares in 2020 as a part of belongings linked to a belief held by his household's grocery retailer enterprise.

Meijer mentioned that he offered all his shares, together with his shares in Yandex, in early 2021.

Elsewhere, the spouse of rep. Khanna, Ritu Khanna, was additionally discovered to have bought as much as $15,000 of Yandex inventory in January 2022.

Marie Baldassarre, Khanna's spokesperson, mentioned the inventory is a part of Ritu Khanna's household belief which was arrange earlier than they received married and managed by a 3rd occasion.

"Congressman Khanna doesn't commerce in any shares, and he helps a ban on inventory buying and selling that applies additionally to spouses," Baldassarre mentioned.

In 2021, rep. Lee disclosed that her husband, whom she is now not in a relationship with, additionally owned as much as $200,000 price of shares in two Russian alternate traded funds—VanEck Russia ETF and iShares MSCI Russia ETF.

Rep. Lee's mentioned in an announcement that these investments have been in members of the family' accounts, which included her estranged husband's, and have been offered two years in the past.

"The household at present has no investments in these funds," Lee spokesperson Zoe Sheppard mentioned.

russia sanctions congress
Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Peter Meijer (R-MI) have been each named in a report detailing how they invested in Russian firms. Kevin Dietsch/ Drew Angerer/Getty Pictures

It's unclear if the members have retained their inventory, or made some other investments associated to Russian firms.

Newsweek has contacted all 4 for remark.

Elsewhere, a few of the lawmakers have reacted to the information that they've been sanctioned by Russia with glee.

"I take it as a praise to be sanctioned by struggle felony Putin + his cronies," Gottemheimer tweeted.

Meijer added: "Apparently I simply received sanctioned by Putin for our work supporting Ukraine. I assume my [House Committee on Foreign Affairs] invoice to develop US sanctions towards all Russian Duma officers struck a nerve!"