Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was questioned by the FBI over stock market transactions made by her husband earlier this year, shortly after senators were briefed on the severity of the coronavirus.
A spokesperson for Feinstein told The New York Times Thursday that the FBI asked her “basic questions” last month about stock sales made by her husband, and added that the senator provided requested documents to federal law enforcement that showed she had no involvement in her husband’s financial transactions. (RELATED: ‘No More Talk!’: Trump Urges Lindsey Graham To Make Obama Testify)
A spokesman for Dianne Feinstein says the FBI asked her “basic questions” in April about her husband’s stock trades, and that she provided documents showing she had no involvement.
A spokeswoman for Kelly Loeffler said the FBI had not contacted her. https://t.co/rooGHkUoTn
— Zach Basu (@zacharybasu) May 14, 2020
The 86-year-old California senator sold at least $1.5 million in stocks following a late January briefing on the coronavirus, but has denied any wrongdoing, and has said that all of her assets are in a blind trust.
Financial transactions made by Republican Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma shortly after the briefing have also come under scrutiny. Burr’s case has attracted the most attention after it was revealed he sold between $628,000 and $1.72 million worth of stock from his portfolio just weeks after the briefing. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: Jan. 21: Fauci Says Coronavirus ‘Not A Major Threat’ To U.S.)
The FBI seized the veteran North Carolina’s senator’s cell phone Wednesday night as part of their investigation into alleged insider trading. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Thursday that Burr would step down as chairman of the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee while the investigation was ongoing.
“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,” McConnell said in a statement. “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.”
