Mike Kelly
RepublicanU.S. Representative, PA-16| Age | 78 (b. 1948-05-10) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2011-01-05 (~15 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (Irish and Anglo-Saxon descent, per his own description) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Education | B.A. from the University of Notre Dame (1970); graduated Butler Senior High School (1966) |
| Prior occupation | Automobile dealership owner/businessman; operated the family Kelly automotive dealerships (Chevrolet/Cadillac, later Hyundai and Kia) in Butler, PA |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Marital status | Married — Victoria Phillips Kelly |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Butler, Pennsylvania |
| Notable relatives | Brother-in-law Phil Roe, former U.S. Representative from Tennessee |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2010 |
| Previous offices | Butler Area School Board member (1992-1995) · Butler County Council member (2006-2009) · U.S. Representative, Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district (2011-2019) |
| Committees | House Committee on Ways and Means (member since 2013) · Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax (Chairman) · Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health |
| Caucuses | Republican Study Committee · Congressional Taiwan Caucus · Friends of Ireland Caucus · Congressional Cancer Caucus · Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus · House Automotive Caucus · Congressional Caucus on Korea · U.S.-China Working Group · Northern Border Security Caucus · House Small Brewers Caucus · Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition |
| Leadership | Chairman, Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax · Chair, House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump (2024-2025) |
| Ideology | Reliably conservative Republican; member of the Republican Study Committee. Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act (2022) and cosponsored the Federal Marriage Amendment (2015). Noted by the Lugar Center/Georgetown Bipartisan Index as among the more bipartisan members in several Congresses. |
| Signature legislation | Sponsored three bills enacted into law: renaming a Butler, PA post office and renaming two Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in Butler, PA |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed + (2018) · estimate
| Kelly Automotive (auto dealership business) | business_owned · 2018 |
| Claddagh Properties LP (real estate) | real_estate · 2018 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — House Ethics Committee finding of code-of-conduct violation over spouse's Cleveland-Cliffs stock trade
In April 2020, Kelly's wife Victoria purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. stock one day after Kelly reportedly learned nonpublic information that a Section 232 steel investigation would benefit the company; she later sold the shares for a profit of roughly $64,476. The Office of Congressional Ethics referred the matter to the House Ethics Committee in July 2021, recommending subpoenas because Kelly, his wife, and his then-chief of staff declined to cooperate. After a four-year investigation, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee released its final report on July 25, 2025, finding no evidence of insider trading but concluding there was substantial evidence Kelly violated the congressional code of conduct by failing to meet his duty of candor during the inquiry. The Committee recommended the Kellys divest remaining Cleveland-Cliffs holdings; it imposed no monetary penalty.
resolved — House Ethics Committee Reproval for Failure of Candor in Insider-Trading Investigation
On April 29, 2020, Victoria Kelly purchased 5,000 shares of Cleveland-Cliffs stock ($23,075) the day after Rep. Kelly learned — through his official duties — that the Department of Commerce had begun a Section 232 investigation that could benefit the Butler, PA steel plant in his district. She later sold the shares for a profit of $64,476. On July 23, 2021, the Office of Congressional Ethics referred the matter to the House Ethics Committee, finding substantial reason to believe the purchase was based on confidential nonpublic information. On July 25, 2025, the Committee unanimously adopted a report clearing Kelly of intentional insider trading and conflict-of-interest violations, but formally reproving him for failing to acknowledge the seriousness of the misconduct and the investigation, in violation of the House Code of Official Conduct. The Committee also directed Kelly and his wife to divest remaining Cleveland-Cliffs shares before taking any further official action on matters affecting that company.