Richard Burr to step down as Intelligence Committee chairman

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Thu May 14, 2020, 01:03 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN)Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina is stepping aside as chairman of the influential Senate Intelligence Committee while he's under investigation for stock trades he made ahead of the market downturn sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement Thursday that Burr "contacted me this morning to inform me of his decision to step aside as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee during the pendency of the investigation." He said Burr's resignation as chairman will be effective at the end of the day on Friday.

Burr's decision to step aside as chairman is a stunning development for the North Carolina Republican, who has led the Senate Intelligence Committee through its three-year investigation into Russian election interference that is nearing its completion.

Shortly after McConnell's announcement, Burr told reporters he is resigning as intelligence chair because "this is a distraction to the hard work of the committee and the members and I think the security of the country is too important to have any distractions." Burr also said he has been cooperating with investigators "since the beginning" and will let the investigation play out.

He stepped down after the FBI served his lawyer with a search warrant and Burr surrendered his phone Wednesday, a senior Justice Department official told CNN. The use of the search warrant had been signed off at the highest levels of the Justice Department, as is protocol, the official said. The Los Angeles Times first reported the warrant.

It's not immediately clear who will take over as chairman of the committee. Committee members Sens. Jim Risch of Idaho, Marco Rubio of Florida and Susan Collins of Maine are next in line in seniority, though all currently lead other committees.

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/14/politics/richard-burr-steps-down-intel-chairman/index.html

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Original article -

(CNN)Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina is stepping aside as chairman of the influential Senate Intelligence Committee while he's under investigation for stock trades he made ahead of the market downturn sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement Thursday that Burr "contacted me this morning to inform me of his decision to step aside as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee during the pendency of the investigation." "We agreed that this decision would be in the best interests of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day tomorrow," McConnell said.

The FBI served Burr with a search warrant and seized a cell phone belonging to the North Carolina Republican on Wednesday, The Los Angeles Times reported, as part of the FBI's investigation into lawmaker stock trades.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

[Stuart G]

1. Poor Senator Burr.........I guess he has some other worries...

[dawg day]

3. Thoughts and prayers, Senator Burr

We are furrowing our brows in concern.

[Fullduplexxx]

2. There goes our access to the mueller report

[grumpyduck]

4. Chairman of the INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE?

[NewJeffCT]

5. and, he will either water down the Senate Intel Russia report

or else Moscow Mitch will replace him with somebody that will water it down.

[RVN VET71]

30. Moscow Mitch will replace him with a trumpet crony

and therein lies a tale. Burr apparently committed a crime. But regardless of his guilt or innocence, he was a fairly bi-partisan Chair -- and that ain't gonna happen again. Mitch will make sure the next Chair is someone more compatible with Orange Anus' re-election campaign.

The report will either be kept from the public or watered down so as to be useless -- or both.

So Burr's guilt does hurt us all.

[IronLionZion]

6. Lock him up!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STOCK_Act
The law prohibits the use of non-public information for private profit, including insider trading by members of Congress and other government employees.

Senator Burr probably thought he was being super clever.

[turbinetree]

9. I second that motion........................

He voted to keep the "IMPEACHED' guy in office.......................

[AllaN01Bear]

13. i third that motion.

[leftieNanner]

19. I'm guessing that he shouldn't have told his brother to sell his stock on the same day

That's definitely NOT clever.

[flibbitygiblets]

27. Kind of brings into question his qualifications around leading "Intelligence" committees

I'm honestly shocked he stepped down. Belligerent, entitled "how dare you question me" response is the typical R response when caught red handed.

[leftieNanner]

29. Good point

Gym Jordan and Devin Nunes are on the House "Intelligence" Committee! Maybe they thought they might catch some.

[SledDriver]

7. That was their goal

That’s why he was singled out

[Bengus81]

8. What about Sen Inhofe of Oklahoma? He did the same damn thing. They shouldn't step down....

They should resign and do it today.

[Traildogbob]

18. And the GOP Lady

But she blows smoke up trumps ass. Lock the whole damn bunch of em up. Start with their savior. I am librul, but ya know what, the death penalty as per the constitution gives me hope of justice. Treasonous justice.

[2naSalit]

10. So who becomes chair?

[BumRushDaShow]

11. They just updated with the possibilities --

It's not immediately clear who will take over as chairman of the committee. Committee members Sens. Jim Risch of Idaho, Marco Rubio of Florida and Susan Collins of Maine are next in line in seniority, though all currently lead other committees.

[2naSalit]

12. Thanks.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. You are welcome and I expect there will be

a food fight to get that chairmanship - although I expect that Turtle could reassign some loon not already on the committee, to take it over.

[AllaN01Bear]

14. hem. another one bites the dust.

[Texin]

16. This is a Barr-led hit job on Burr.

Never mind the fact that Burr and his cadres did engage in insider trader. The fact is, this was directed through the FBI to have Burr removed, i.e., *step down* in this case so tRump can move one of his lickspittle loyalists into that position. In tRump-Barr's opinion, Burr got too cooperative with Senate Democrats on the Intelligence Committe and he wants to muscle someone totally loyal into that role. Why didn't the FBI knock on Kelly Loefler's door and confiscate HER phone simultaneously?

[leftieNanner]

20. Precisely nt

[NCjack]

25. Sen. Burr should get even by resigning from the Senate. Let Gov. Cooper (D-NC)

appoint a replacement.

[Recursion]

17. OFFS. What a sham

The AG just removed a Senator that Trump found inconvenient

[leftieNanner]

21. Apparently the Right Wing Crazies

Have been after Burr for a while. This is very convenient.

[moose65]

31. Geez

I've been stuck with Burr forever (see what I did there??) He is one of my Senators but before that he represented my district in the House. It's time for him to go.

And it's so hilarious to me that the Right Wing Crazies have been after Burr - in my opinion, HE is a Right Wing Crazy

[leftieNanner]

33. Now don't get a burr under your saddle there, Moose!

He is a right wing crazy, but he did release that report from his committee on the Russia "hoax" and that has put him on the naughty list.

[moose65]

34. He's been a burr on my ass for years

In fact, here in NC we call him "Dick Burr"

[leftieNanner]

35. OW!

I have a bad news House Member here in Southern Oregon. We do have two wonderful Senators. But my little Blue area was grouped with Redder-than-Red Eastern Oregon to form District 2. Greg Walden, who is retiring, has been bad news for ever. Unfortunately, the guys running to replace him are even worse. They make Burr look like a Democrat.

[ancianita]

22. So much for the contradictory title, "Republican Intelligence."

[Mr. Ected]

23. I wish Burr had just challenged Mitch to a duel

Or maybe our omnipotent President could stand in Mitch's place. Maybe set it up on Fifth Avenue.

[Mersky]

24. The nightmare continues

He coulda been a statesman, but didn’t have the courage. Now, he’s let himself be nipped out of the way by barr's justus maneuvers. He worked too quietly, ultimately towed the party line, and will be a convenient sacrifice for political show. Georgia’s loeffler deserves a visit from the feds, too, but won’t get one because she’s a freshman toady without a soul or f’cks to give.

All I can say now, is that the republicans in the senate who give a damn about the survival of this country as a democracy/functioning republic had better get together and start pushing back at Deathrate Donnie and Moscow Mitch. And if that ain’t enough reason, then do it before Kawasaki syndrome predictably takes down schoolchildren in the fall as the all important election approaches. The country can’t afford anymore of tRump’s unmitigated mishandling of the virus response or the grim reaper’s depraved prioritizing. Make the madness stop, republican senators.

[lastlib]

26. I wonder if Susie is 'concerned' about who will replace him?

She needs to be serving as chair of the Senate Toilet Floor-Mopping Committee. Or as the mop.

[rainin]

28. I'm no fan of Burr, but I think taking him down was a message

to any senators who might try to cross tRump. They only have to take out one powerful Senator to chill all the others into complete submission.

My guess is there was rumbling among the ranks because of the poor response to the virus and this served many purposes. They now can control what happens to the Russia investigation and more AND they let every Senator know the Justice department will come for them if they don't stay in line

Scary times

[littlemissmartypants]

32. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Richie Rich.

Last edited Thu May 14, 2020, 05:28 PM - Edit history (1)

[lanlady]

36. Barr and Trump are behind this

Burr was dumb enough to engage in insider trading, and Barr-ump saw an opportunity to get back at him for not quashing the Senate Russia report.

[Marcuse]

37. He had a chance to retire as what passes for a GOP statesman, but grifters gotta grift.