- Piedmont Rising
Calls for Sen. Tillis To Hold Sen. Burr Accountable Grow As Evidence of Wrongdoing Mounts
Calls for Senator Tillis To Hold Senator Burr Accountable on Shady Financial Deals Grow As More Evidence of Wrongdoing Mounts
Raleigh, N.C. – Piedmont Rising Executive Director Casey Wilkinson released the following statement following another report of financial misconduct by U.S. Senate Intelligence Chair Richard Burr. ProPublica reported that Burr and his brother-in-law, Gerald Fauth, a Trump appointee, both sold off significant portions of their stock holdings before the market crashed back in February.
“As the evidence of wrongdoing and flagrant violation of public trust continues to mount, it’s past time that Senator Tillis called for a federal investigation into these transactions. A Senate Ethics Committee review is simply not enough, and neither are lukewarm statements about accountability. North Carolinians deserve representatives who put them first and prioritize the critical need to make health care affordable for working families, not representatives looking for a way to make a quick buck off of a crisis while our communities suffer from the pandemic and unemployment. Senator Tillis must put partisan allegiances aside in the interests of the health and integrity of those he represents.”
Background
● This week, ProPublica reported that on the same day Burr dumped his stock, his brother-in-law, a Trump appointee, also sold off significant portions of his stock holdings just before the stock market crashed.
● A few weeks ago, ethics questions surrounding the actions of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina have expanded to include questions about the 2017 sale of a townhouse in Washington, D.C.
● This latest scandal comes after ProPublica reported Senator Burr sold between $628,000 and $1.72 million of stock a week before the market crashed, while at the same time reassuring the public about the coronavirus. Federal authorities are reportedly scrutinizing those trades, and the FBI has contacted him. Burr has denied allegations of insider trading, saying that he based his decisions solely on public information, including CNBC reports, and not on information he obtained as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee or as a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
● Sen. Thom Tillis declined to say whether his North Carolina colleague, Sen. Richard Burr, should step down as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
● According to a recent poll, 50 percent of North Carolina voters believe Burr should resign.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jessica Coscia
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About Piedmont Rising
Piedmont Rising is a 501 (c)4 issue advocacy organization built by and for North Carolinians to advocate for lower insurance premiums and prescription drug costs and to ensure that more people have access to safe and affordable health care. Through grassroots organizing, education, and engagement, we are amplifying our health care stories and holding our elected officials accountable to the people, and issues they were elected to represent. www.piedmontrising.org