McConnell Silent as Senator Burr Remained Senate Intelligence Committee Chair for 57 Days Following Allegations of Insider Trading, Continued to Receive Classified Briefings on Coronavirus
Washington, D.C. — Washington, DC - Following Senator Richard Burr’s resignation as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee 57 days after allegations about profiteering off of classified information about the coronavirus pandemic, CNN reported:
“Burr came under fire in March when it was first disclosed that he and his wife made nearly three dozen stock trades worth between $628,000 and $1.7 million on a single day, February 13, according to Senate filings, representing a significant portion of his stock portfolio.
As chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Burr has received classified briefings on the coronavirus outbreak in addition to closed-door briefings all senators had access to as the virus spread.”
Joshua Karp of Fix Our Senate said, “This is a sad sign of just how corrupt and dysfunctional the Senate has become under Majority Leader McConnell that a warrant served by President Trump’s Department of Justice ultimately forced Senator Burr’s hand and led him to resign his Senate Intelligence Committee chairmanship. Despite clear evidence Burr violated public trust by putting personal gain ahead of public safety during a national crisis, McConnell failed to call for his removal from this crucial oversight post.
“Fix Our Senate applauds the FBI’s decision to pursue a criminal investigation into Burr’s clear corruption. However, the American people can’t count on the incompetent, politically driven Trump administration to stamp out wrongdoing. It’s on Majority Leader McConnell to hold his members accountable and end the culture of corruption he created in the Senate, or this kind of blatant profiteering will continue.”