Hold These Senators Accountable: Profiting off of a Pandemic

To: Senate Ethics Committee, Department of Justice, & Securities and Exchange Commission
From: jamie carter

Any public official who used insider knowledge to make a profit off of the coronavirus crisis has no right to hold office. Senators Richard Burr, Kelly Loeffler, Jim Inhofe, and Dianne Feinstein — who together sold off millions in stocks just before the market crashed in response to COVID-19 — must be thoroughly investigated and held accountable.

Several senators may have engaged in an absolutely shameful — and possibly criminal — insider trading scheme around the COVID-19 crisis, according to new reports.

Senators Richard Burr (R-NC), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) had access to insider information about coronavirus as members of Congress. And at least two of them — Senators Burr and Loeffler — publicly downplayed concerns about an outbreak.

But in private, these senators were selling off their portfolios — unloading millions of dollars in stocks right before they lost huge amounts of market value. That means their inside information as senators let them dodge the market crash that’ll shrink millions of Americans’ retirement savings.

Profiting off of a pandemic is despicable. If the allegations are true, instead of serving the American people in a moment of crisis — these senators exploited their positions to enrich and protect themselves.

The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission have launched an investigation into these reported violations of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK) Act. This investigation must be thorough, expeditious, and uninterrupted — and if these senators did in fact engage in insider trading, they must resign.

If Burr, Loeffler, Inhofe, Feinstein, or any other public official took part in this outrageous, self-serving scheme — they have no right to continue to serve. Add your name to demand a full investigation.

This petition is sponsored by: American Family Voices, California Clean Money Action Fund, Common Cause, Daily Kos, DemCastUSA, Free Speech For People, Main Street Alliance Action Fund, Rootsaction.org, and USA Unify