The Justice Department’s investigation into Sen. Richard Burr’s shady stock sales during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic reportedly took a major turn on Wednesday night.
Burr but not Loeffler? Is this about Russia and the senate intelligence committee reports?
Deep state at work behind Barr’s back, or did Burr fall behind on his baksheesh?
Errant Burr?
I’m honestly quite surprised that Barr allowed this to happen.
Insider trading is in fact a crime.
However, it is the sad day in our country when the first thought in mind has to be “was this all about political payback of some kind, like investigating Russian interference in our elections”?
And I can thank Senator Burr and other Republican Senators for bringing us all here. If this is political payback in motivation, all I can say is the fine Senator earned it.
We don’t know what (if anything) is happening in the Loeffler case.
Even though (it appears that) the FBI obtained proper warrants from a judge before going after Burr’s records, you’re right that the AG or someone very close would have had to approve first (even in a “normal” DOJ).
On Burr, who is retiring and not a total Trumpturd. Georgias’s Kelly Loeffler violation was for even a larger amount, but she is in a tight re-election race and has not lost a single opportunity to lick the dotard’s derriere.
Subtle these people are not.
Oh yeah baby. That’s the way to wake up in the mornin’!
If only Burr had been more loyal…
Burr is retiring, Loeffer in a tight re-election race. Enough of an explanation?
Trump and Barr want it to be known that there are two tracks of law enforcement, one for the loyal and one for the disloyal.
You say that now, but just wait 'til Fox “reports” that Burr is a Democrat.
Maybe. I don’t know.
Short answer is maybe… But only in the sense that DOJ/Wray feel more protected going after Burr, who Trump does not like due to the Russian investigation reports.
But to be fair, Trump is not so hot on Loeffler, who he did not want appointed (he wanted his fascist boot licker “friend” Doug Collins).
I think the reality is that you need (after the Ted Steven’s fall out, caused by Judge Sullivan I might add, the judge causing Barr so much pain right now) a really good reason to do this kind of thing with a sitting senator. Not just probable cause to get a warrant, but more like making out a prima facia case, the details of which you need futher evidence to prove.
Loeffler is very different as she used brokers and has an argument (correct or not) that her sales were not something she was involved in. And given that I dumped my vulnerable US stocks before this (alas was not so good at picking PPE related stocks to get into, Costco and bonds was/is my friend, along with a business work app company) I don’t doubt that it is POSSIBLE that she was not involved, and just had a more aware person running her investments. Not everyone on Wall Street is a dumbo, and her husband runs Dow Jones… Note her argument is very different than is e.g. Diane Finestein (who has a blind trust, and no connection, and btb ended up losing money on what her blind trust did), but it is also very different than Burr who sold on his own.
Bottom line is Burr is in a world of hurt.
and P.S. in North Carolina, the Governor must appoint a replacement from the departing senator’s party. So the Democratic Governor (who is doing quite well and cruising to re-election) would have to appoint a registered republican to fill the seat.
Yes, the ducks are all in a row.
Exactly.
The fact that Loeffler’s name doesn’t even appear in these articles is not going to be lost on their fellow republicans.
Her name does appear in the LA Times article (which is apparently TPM’s primary source in this instance):
Burr is not the only senator who has come under fire for dumping stock as the virus neared the United States.
In late February and early March, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) sold stocks valued at between $1.25 million and $3.1 million in companies that later dropped significantly, including ExxonMobil. She also bought shares in Citrix, which makes telework software.
Loeffler, who was appointed to her seat to fill a vacancy and faces an election later this year, said after the sales became public that she and her husband would divest all individual stocks.