The lack of national leadership coming out of the COVID-19 crisis makes us all feel uneasy, especially when we consider the actions of Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)—who is the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. After learning about the looming crisis in a private committee meeting, he started selling off stock while failing to warn the rest of the country during his press conferences.
I was especially disgusted after a special recording obtained by NPR revealed that Burr told his wealthy donors and members of an exclusive social club, about the major disruptions to the nation’s economic and daily life that would come from the growing outbreak. Publicly, he kept quiet as President Trump told people, “It's going to disappear. One day, it's like a miracle. It will disappear.” Proving once again, that the current political system is one that benefits the rich with privileged opportunities, such as hearing confidential information in order to secure their assets.
Along with Sen. Burr, several other lawmakers' also traded millions in stock after attending the committee meeting: Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) who is the richest sitting Senator and married to the CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), to a lesser extent, Sen. David Perdue (R-GA).
What we continue to see are leaders abusing their powers to benefit the wealthy few in this country—including themselves. My opponent, NY-12 Congressional Representative Carolyn Maloney, failed to acknowledge the explicit abuse of power by her colleagues. What Senator Burr did is considered insider trading—a felony.
