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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThey. Sold. Their. Stock. They could have made a difference, but they made a profit.
On Jan. 24, Richard Burr, a Republican senator from North Carolina, attended a private Senate briefing from senior government scientists about the seriousness of the coronavirus. Kelly Loeffler, a Republican senator from Georgia, received the same briefing.
At the time, many Americans did not yet understand the danger that the virus posed. The same day as the briefing, President Trump in one of his many attempts over the past two months to make the virus seem like a frivolous matter tweeted, It will all work out well.
Given the disconnect between what they knew and the publics understanding, Burr and Loeffler had an opportunity to sound the alarm. They could have broken ranks with other congressional Republicans and told the country to take the situation more seriously. They could have criticized Trump for not doing more. Such criticism, coming from Trumps own party, would have received major attention. It would have had the potential to alter Trump administration policy and, by extension, the course the disease took.
But Burr and Loeffler did virtually nothing to protect the health and safety of their constituents or of Americans in other states. (Burr went so far as to co-write an article for FoxNews.com bragging about the countrys readiness.) Heres what the two senators did instead: They sold large amounts of their personal stock holdings, cashing in before the market sharply declined, as the severity of the virus became apparent to everyone.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/opinion/burr-loeffler-stocks-coronavirus.html
C_U_L8R
(44,997 posts)Treasonous profiteering must be harshly dealt with.
FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)gibraltar72
(7,501 posts)JenniferJuniper
(4,510 posts)as my late mother always referred to them.
Glorfindel
(9,726 posts)She had lived through the Great Depression and knew what rePukes really were.
JenniferJuniper
(4,510 posts)"Never trust any Republican, they caused the Depression!"
Stuart G
(38,414 posts)Qutzupalotl
(14,300 posts)in addition to upholding their duty to warn the public. But they didnt want to risk losing money. Priorities.
coolsimo
(26 posts)Sen Loeffler also BOUGHT stock in Citrix, the office tele-communication company. She knew everybody would working from home.