[The Federalist] Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr is being criticized by liberals and conservatives due to the news he sold up to $1.6 million in stock after receiving private briefings about the coronavirus but before the stock market began its sharp decline.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted of the North Carolina Republican: "Burr knew how bad it would be. He told the truth to his wealthy donors, while assuring the public that we were fine. THEN he sold off $1.6 million in stock before the fall. He needs to resign."
Tucker Carlson told his audience Burr needs to resign and await prosecution if he’s unable to explain his actions. He said if the allegations are true, that Burr has betrayed his country in a time of crisis.
It’s up to the people of North Carolina to decide Burr’s fate. They elected him and are best suited to make that decision. But it’s the job of the Republicans in the Senate to pick chairmen and committee slots. And it is long past time for Burr to step aside as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Burr had already let the country down in that role. Under his leadership, the Senate Intelligence Committee was worse than useless at overseeing the intelligence community’s handling of the bizarre theory that Donald Trump was involved in an elaborate conspiracy with Russia to steal the 2016 election from Hillary Clinton. Burr helped perpetuate the idea that this was a reasonable and not insane theory, and took many actions to protect those who spied on the Trump campaign, leaked against Trump administration officials, and withheld evidence from the real congressional overseers on other Senate committees and in the House of the Representatives.