Senators Burr and Loeffler Insider Trading Requires ”Resignation and Prosecution”

Leslie is joined by Morris Pearl, Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires, a group of hundreds of high-net-worth Americans who are committed to making all Americans better off by building a more prosperous, stable, and inclusive nation. The group focuses on promoting public policy solutions that encourage political equality, guarantee a sustaining wage for working Americans, and ensure that millionaires, billionaires, and corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

Leslie and Morris discuss reports that Senators Richard Burr and Kelly Loeffler sold off significant amounts of stock in the immediate aftermath of being briefed on the spread of COVID-19, all while publicly stating that there was no reason for alarm.

 

The Patriotic Millionaires, led by Mr. Pearl, are calling for "resignation and prosecution" in response to the insider trading reports.

 

"Senators Burr and Loeffler have clearly placed their own personal financial interests ahead of the safety and wellbeing of their constituents, and they have no business continuing to act as public servants. They must resign, and their misconduct must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law under the 2012 STOCK Act.

The Department of Justice should prioritize investigating and prosecuting these Senators. Our entire government depends on the American people trusting that their elected officials are working with their best interests at heart. By using their official positions to benefit themselves at the expense of the American people, these Senators have betrayed the trust of their communities and constituents, and cracked the very foundations of our democracy at a time when trust in our government has never been more important.

Congress should pass laws that would make this kind of misbehavior impossible in the future. It is absurd that members of Congress are allowed to trade stocks at all. No one should personally profit from having the privilege of serving their nation as a legislator."

 

Leslie and Morris also discuss what safeguards are needed in any stimulus/bailout packages to protect working people and fight corporate greed.

 

The website for the Patriotic Millionaires is www.PatrioticMillionaires.org, their Instagram handle is @PatrioticMillionaires, and their Twitter handle is @PatrioticMills. Morris Pearl's Twitter handle is @Morris_Pearl.