杨贵妃传媒視頻

Skip to main content

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.

Subscribe Follow Us
  • Trump 2.0

    Trump 2.0

    • Agency Watch
    • State Watch
    • Rural Health Payout
  • Public Health

    Public Health

    • Vaccines
    • CDC & Disease
    • Environmental Health
  • Audio Reports

    Audio Reports

    • What the Health?
    • Health Care Helpline
    • 杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Minute
    • An Arm and a Leg
    • Health Hub
    • HealthQ
    • Silence in Sikeston
    • Epidemic
    • See All Audio
  • Special Reports

    Special Reports

    • Bill Of The Month
    • The Body Shops
    • Broken Rehab
    • Deadly Denials
    • Priced Out
    • Dead Zone
    • Diagnosis: Debt
    • Overpayment Outrage
    • Opioid Settlement Tracking
    • See All Special Reports
  • More Topics

    More Topics

    • Elections
    • Health Care Costs
    • Insurance
    • Prescription Drugs
    • Health Industry
    • Immigration
    • Reproductive Health
    • Technology
    • Rural Health
    • Race and Health
    • Aging
    • Mental Health
    • Affordable Care Act
    • Medicare
    • Medicaid
    • Children’s Health

  • Medicaid Work Requirements
  • ‘Skinny Labeling’
  • Gun Control
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Rural Health Payout

TRENDING TOPICS:

  • Medicaid Work Requirements
  • 'Skinny Labeling'
  • Gun Control
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Rural Health Payout

Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

  • Email

Wednesday, May 27 2020

Full Issue

DOJ Closes Stock Sale Investigations Of 3 Senators, Hints That Agents Are Focusing On Sen. Burr

Investigators closed probes into the stock activities of Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) at the beginning of the pandemic. However, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is still under investigation over records that show he and his wife sold between $600,000 and $1.7 million in stock in more than 30 transactions in late January and mid-February.

The Justice Department has closed investigations into stock trading by Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, according to people familiar with notifications sent to the senators. The senators came under scrutiny for transactions made in the weeks before the coronavirus sent markets downhill. The developments indicate that federal law enforcement officials are narrowing their focus in the stock investigation to Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C, the former Senate Intelligence Committee chairman. Agents showed up at his Washington-area home about two weeks ago with a warrant to search his cellphone. (Jalonick and Tucker, 5/27)

Burr's trades, which were worth up to $1.7 million, have drawn the most scrutiny, and he remains under investigation. The FBI executed a search warrant for his cellphone earlier this month 鈥 a major step in the probe. It meant investigators were able to show a federal judge probable cause that a crime had been committed and that there was likely evidence of that crime on Burr's phone. The decision to seek a warrant was approved at the highest levels of the Justice Department given the sensitivities involved in an investigation into a sitting senator. (Lucas, 5/26)

The closure of the investigation into Ms. Loeffler could give her a boost as she struggles to keep her seat in Georgia. Ms. Loeffler, who was appointed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to replace retired Sen. Johnny Isakson, is trailing another Republican, Rep. Doug Collins, in recent polls. Mr. Collins has criticized Ms. Loeffler over the trades, but she said last week that she had no plans to drop out of the race. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 clear exoneration by the Department of Justice affirms what Senator Loeffler has said all along鈥攕he did nothing wrong,鈥 a spokesman for Ms. Loeffler said. (Viswanatha, 5/26)

The senators all sold significant amounts of stock before the coronavirus pandemic decimated the financial markets. The market plunge began in late February and after the Senate received briefings on the coming pandemic. Although the DOJ investigations have run their course for the trio of senators, that does not necessarily mean the Securities and Exchange Commission鈥檚 inquiries are halted, according to Jacob S. Frenkel, a former senior counsel in the SEC鈥檚 enforcement division. (Marquette, 5/26)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
Newsletter icon

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Stay informed by signing up for the Morning Briefing and other emails:

Recent Morning Briefings

  • Thursday, April 30
  • Wednesday, April 29
  • Tuesday, April 28
  • Monday, April 27
  • Friday, April 24
  • Thursday, April 23
More Morning Briefings
RSS Feeds
  • 杨贵妃传媒視頻
  • Special Reports
  • Morning Briefing
  • About Us
  • Republish Our Content
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

  • RSS

Sign up for emails

Join our email list for regular updates based on your personal preferences.

Sign up
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy

漏 2026 KFF