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Sen. Richard Burr steps down as Senate Intel Committee chair amid stock sale investigation

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, arrives as House and Senate lawmakers from both parties gather for a classified briefing in a secure room about the federal investigation into President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 24, 2018. Trump is calling his newest attempt at discrediting special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation "spygate" amid reports that a longtime U.S. government informant approached members of his campaign during the 2016 presidential election in a possible bid to glean intelligence on Russian efforts to sway the election. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
by: WRTV Staff
Posted: / Updated:

Sen. Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) is leaving his post as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee amid an investigation into his sale of stock ahead of the coronavirus pandemic, CNN and The Washington Post report.

FBI agents seized Burr’s phone on Wednesday and searched his Washington home as the Department of Justice’s investigation took a dramatic step forward.

In March, reports emerged that Burr had sold more than $1 million in stocks ahead of a market slump brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. In February, Burr publicly told constituents that they should not worry about the coronavirus, but privately told well-connected donors that he expected the virus to be a major disruption in the lives of Americans.

Burr claims he did not use information he received in Senate Intel Committee briefings when deciding to sell his stock. He said he made his decisions solely on publicly available media reports.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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