WASHINGTON, D.C. – The investigation into Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-NC) stock sales now includes an FBI warrant for his cell phone according to an L.A. Times report. The warrant was served on May 13 according to a law enforcement official who spoke with the newspaper.
Earlier this year, Burr’s financial transactions came under scrutiny along with four other senators who attended briefings regarding the novel coronavirus and its potential impacts in the U.S. All of the senators involved denied using inside information before making the financial transactions.
Burr had asked the Senate Ethics to review the matter and the FBI got involved soon after.
“When this issue arose, Senator Burr immediately asked the Senate Ethics Committee to conduct a complete review, and he will cooperate with that review as well as any other appropriate inquiry. Senator Burr welcomes a thorough review of the facts in this matter, which will establish that his actions were appropriate,” Burr attorney Alice Fisher said.
Burr has acknowledged selling the stocks because of the coronavirus but said he relied “solely on public news reports,” specifically CNBC’s daily health and science reporting out of Asia, to make the financial decisions.
On Thursday, Burr told Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) he was stepping aside from his position of Senate intelligence committee chairman for the duration of the probe. “We agreed that this decision would be in the best interests of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day Friday” McConnell said in a statement.
