Earlier this morning we reported to you that the FBI just served a search warrant on Senator Burr over alleged insider trading earlier this year right before the economy collapsed. Now Burr is stepping down as the Chairman of the intel committee over the investigation:
BREAKING: Burr stepping down as intelligence chairman during probe into stock trades after coronavirus briefings https://t.co/I5dMAPdRbN pic.twitter.com/ly7TeMGk2t
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 14, 2020
CBS NEWS – Republican Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina is stepping down as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee amid a federal investigation into allegations of insider trading, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced in a statement Thursday. The move comes after FBI agents seized Burr’s cellphone as a part of the probe.
“Senator Burr contacted me this morning to inform me of his decision to step aside as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee during the pendency of the investigation. We agreed that this decision would be in the best interests of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day tomorrow,” McConnell said in the statement.
So far McConnell isn’t commenting on who will chair the committee. CNN reporter Manu Raju says Senator Jim Risch is next in line:
Sen. Jim Risch is next in line in seniority to be chair of Senate Intel to be chairman but McConnell’s office is declining to comment on if he will be chairman.
Risch also just refused to answer questions as well as he waved away questions and got on senators-only elevator
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 14, 2020
Senator Thune reportedly told Fox News that it’s more likely that Risch won’t be the new chairman, which leaves it to Marco Rubio:
Next in line in seniority to be interim chair is Sen. Risch.
But Thune tells @FoxReports Risch likely to stay at Foreign Relations, which means Rubio would be next up to take over for Burr. (Collins follows Rubio if he wants to stay at Small Biz due to PPP program.)
— Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) May 14, 2020
A White House reporter notes that since the intel committee is a select committee, McConnell could deviate from seniority and chose who he wants. So stay tuned.