U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy, who previously owned an aerial firefighting company called Bridger Aerospace, has pushed legislation in Congress to cut safety inspections of firefighting aircraft — the same month his former company failed one of those inspections. Sheehy continues to hold stock in the company while advocating for deregulation that would directly benefit it, raising conflict-of-interest concerns. The timing creates a textbook example of regulatory capture: a lawmaker using his office to weaken oversight of an industry where he maintains financial stakes. This pattern is relevant to broader debate over Senate disclosure requirements and whether current financial transparency rules adequately prevent conflicts when lawmakers legislate on their own industries.