Opinion

Editorial: Did Trump use FBI to silence Sen. Burr?

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021-- Based on all we've witnessed of former President Donald Trump's modus operandi, it looks like an effort to put the squeeze on and muzzle any action - no matter how mild - that Sen. Richard Burr's Senate Intelligence Committee might take in its inquiry into efforts by Russia and other international actors to influence the 2016 elections.

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CBC Editorial: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021; Editorial #8629
The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company.
Almost 11 months to the day after Sen. Richard Burr made a series of controversial stock transactions raising questions of potential inappropriate use of insider information -- and hours before Donald Trump’s term as president was ending – the FBI said it was closing an investigation into the matter without any charges.

We’d like to think the probe into Burr’s questionable stock transactions, made ahead of a sharp market drop amid the spread of the coronavirus and after Burr and others in the Senate had received a closed-door briefing on the emerging pandemic, was prompted by the Trump administration’s concerns over ethical behavior by public officials.

But experience leads us to wonder if it looks like something else altogether. To those looking on, it may seem to be more a scene from a movie like “The Godfather” than “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”

Based on all we’ve witnessed of Trump’s modus operandi, it looks like an effort to put the squeeze on and muzzle any action – no matter how mild – that Burr’s Senate Intelligence Committee might take in its inquiry into efforts by Russia and other international actors to influence the 2016 elections.

While not aggressive or antagonistic, Burr had shown that he was not Trump’s lapdog. Burr has certainly not been critical of Trump and remained a loyal Republican. But he also wanted the committee to find the facts and make sure further efforts of foreign meddling in our elections was thwarted.

“Committee staff have spent 14 months reviewing the sources, tradecraft and analytic work, and we see no reason to dispute the conclusions,” Burr said in May 2018 after a report from his committee was released. Contrary to repeated assertions by Trump that Russia didn’t meddle, Burr flatly stated: “There is no doubt that Russia undertook an unprecedented effort to interfere with our 2016 elections.”
When the committee issued a subpoena to Donald Trump Jr., dad pulled the plug on Burr. On May 8th the subpoena was revealed. Less than a week later, the FBI launched its investigation into Burr. No one should believe it was mere coincidence.
Three other senators, including Georgia Republican Kelly Loeffler who was facing a tough re-election contest, were subjects of similar FBI investigations. But those were dropped at the end of May without any further action.
Burr allowed, in a bipartisan way, the committee and its investigators to do their work and find the facts. That was not to Trump’s liking and when the stock transaction controversy hit as the 2020 campaign was heating up, it was Trump’s opportunity to shut the committee up and get Burr out of the way. FBI agents seized Burr’s cellphone and launched a Justice Department probe.  Burr “temporarily” stepped down as the committee’s chair and was replaced by Trump cheerleader Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. The committee went quiet.

Burr has insisted there was nothing inappropriate about the stock trades and took his actions based on publicly available information. He asked the Senate Ethics Committee to examine his actions. There’s been no word, as of yet, from the Ethics Committee.  The committee should do its work and fully disclose its findings.  If Burr did anything wrong, so be it and appropriate action should be taken.

Trump wanted to make Burr an example. Republicans in Congress were so afraid of Trump and his base, they feared doing their job and telling the truth, only to face the retribution sure to follow.

Step out of line and look at what happens. It won’t be nice. Just ask exhibit #1: Richard Burr.

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