Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., is stepping down as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee as he faces an investigation over his stock sales before the coronavirus pandemic prompted a market downturn. The FBI has served a search warrant on Burr's attorney and seized a cellphone at the senator's home, according to a Justice Department official.
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Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., will temporarily leave his post as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, after the FBI seized his mobile phone while investigating stock trades he had made before the coronavirus pandemic triggered a market downturn. Burr has denied his trading was prompted by a private briefing on the coronavirus.
Despite saying Americans should not be overly concerned about the coronavirus, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, sold as much as $1.6 million in stocks in February, according to ProPublica. He appeared to reverse his position later, telling campaign contributors the coronavirus was a threat comparable to the 1918 Spanish flu, according to NPR.
Senate intelligence committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., said Tuesday that his committee has provided unprecedented access to its hearings for the American public. Burr made the claim as he opened the hearing to question Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and PolitiFact found the claim to be true.
Senior members of the Senate intelligence committee want to take quick action on encryption legislation. Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., are working on a bill that would give law enforcement agencies access to encrypted data.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., has called for a law that would require companies to provide access to encrypted communications to aid law enforcement officials. However, it's unclear if such a bill will ever pass.