Senate Intelligence Chairman caught warning donors about virus weeks before the public

NPR has obtained a recording of Senator Richard Burr warning a small group of North Carolina political donors of the coming impact covid-19 would have on the country a full two weeks before the US State Department even began issuing travel advisories. On the same day President Trump was saying

telling Americans that COVID-19 is “going to disappear. One day, It’s like a miracle. It will disappear.”

Senator Burr was telling donors

“There’s one thing that I can tell you about this,” Burr said, “It is much more aggressive in its transmission than anything that we have seen in recent history.” He added, “It is probably more akin to the 1918 pandemic.”

Burr went on to tell the group that they faced significantly restricted foreign travel, school closures, and the use of military resources to construct and staff field hospitals. And to top it all off, Burr also sold off a substantial portion of his stock, netting himself about $1.5 million even as he reassured the public over the virus. This is amazing on so many different levels.

NPR article

Stock article

a reply to: Shamrock6

So was Trump in on the rouse from the beginning?

Repeatedly downplaying it. Only to succumb to the loss of freedoms so easily and quickly.

a reply to: KKLOCO

Who knows? It appears Burr believed the briefings he was getting, enough to warn his donors over at least. I can’t imagine his briefings were substantially different than the President’s were. If they were, that’s a freaking problem. If they weren’t, President Trump either didn’t believe them or hid the information from the public the same way Burr did.

a reply to: Shamrock6

This person should be tared and feathered and stripped of all monetary gains made off this inside information.

a reply to: Shamrock6

We sure did go from nothing to a road of spending over a trillion or more real quick.

I'm not going to blast the initial response, because no one would have been happy either way. The only thing about the start is I think there should have been more honesty about it... And restricting travel of non citizens from infected countries.

But now we're inflating an already over inflated bubble at the worse possible time.

a reply to: KKLOCO

Yes. Now imagine him repeating the senators words. I mean, I've never looted before but it could be fun! Can you seriously not pinpoint the distinction? I mean that. Do we need get an out of work teacher to tutor you?

a reply to: JON666

I wonder if the SEC is paying attention. This could be bad for Burr. Sure ought to be.

a reply to: Shamrock6

From your article,

On Feb. 27, when the United States had 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19, President Trump was tamping down fears and suggesting that the virus could be seasonal.

On February 27th China looked like this,

www.cnbc.com...

Altogether, China has 78,824 confirmed cases and the death toll was at 2,788.

At the end of February I was sharing reports about Covid-19 that were predicting over 3% mortality. I even wrote that at that rate if it infected 60% of the world's population then as many as half the equivalent population of the U.S would be lost to it. I remember doing the grim maths of the sum and being very taken aback. As it stands the figure is around 3% and has been consistant according to those early calculations and projections. It is pretty major. Hence why there are mortuary tents being erected in Britain in preparation because projections are pointing to us being hit as much as Italy. We are a few weeks ahead in our understanding of what is likely to come as was the Senator three weeks back. Italy is currently hitting the peak that China experienced. Britain did not do enough nearly soon enough and neither did the States. Boris and Donald dragged their heels and did not take it seriously enough in time. We could both take as big a hit as Italy has done. I hope not.

Seriously this is hysteria, I knew it would be hitting us on that date and academics all over the world were saying it was going to. Richard was just an educated man who knew the score at that time. Many people knew by then what we were in for. I don't think there is anything that merits suspicion relating to his behaviour other than observation and realism.

I have a terrible suspicion that April is going to be a very cruel month. I am most concerned about Africa. If it reaches there then it could kill many more than 3% of those infected because of the poverty, lack of health provision and other resource deficiencies. In many places there is no way of using precious water to wash hands for 20 seconds.

a reply to: Kakamega

That’s all well and good. Many people knew it was going to be a problem.

It doesn’t change the fact that it’s a problem when a senator, other senior government officials, and government agencies are telling the public one thing while telling the people who gave them money something else entirely. That is the problem.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: Shamrock6



But now we're inflating an already over inflated bubble at the worse possible time.

I don't think trumps halfassed attempt to reassure the proles will work on the mkt. or any moderately educated stock holder.
I bailed long ago. This mkt. is due for a correction and it's gonna be a doozy.

a reply to: bender151

"In the interest of public health, we actually need to involve the public. It's right there in the name. And being transparent, being as clear as possible is very important," said Jason Silverstein, who lectures at the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "The type of language that could have come out there at the end of February saying here's what we ought to expect could have, you know, not panicked people, but gotten them all together to have to all prepare," Silverstein added.

Because the approach they’ve taken has certainly stemmed the tide of people panicking, hasn’t it?

a reply to: Shamrock6

Of course Trump knew.

He was hoping the whole thing would blow over because:

He thought it would be an existential threat to his administration
He knew he would lose an immense amount of wealth in the stock market

EVERYTHING is an economic calculus for Trump.

a reply to: Shamrock6

It doesn’t change the fact that it’s a problem when a senator, other senior government officials, and government agencies are telling the public one thing while telling the people who gave them money something else entirely.

While dumping $1.5 million in stocks. Good timing. Just lucky I guess.

a reply to: olaru12

I had put options to be honest.

I saw what was about to happen and hedged my positions.
unfortunately it was way worse than I thought and it over hedged....

a reply to: Phage

Absolutely luck. I’m sure his daily intelligence briefings had nothing to do with his decision at all, either. Just a smart financial play.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

As the head of the Intelligence Committee, Burr, a North Carolina Republican, has access to the government’s most highly classified information about threats to America’s security. His committee was receiving daily coronavirus briefings around this time

source

Burr was one of just three senators who in 2012 opposed the bill that explicitly barred lawmakers and their staff from using nonpublic information for trades and required regular disclosure of those trades.

originally posted by: JON666
a reply to: Shamrock6

This person should be tared and feathered and stripped of all monetary gains made off this inside information.

The President was the one telling the porkies.

And it wasn't 'insider' information, it was all over the news.

originally posted by: JON666
a reply to: Shamrock6

This person should be tared and feathered and stripped of all monetary gains made off this inside information.

Or send him to China.

On a slow boat.

a reply to: Shamrock6

Too bad we can't try him under military law for the crime he intended whether it's silly or not. Here ya go folks, a US Senator with no values in common with the people he serves. SMDH.

a reply to: chr0naut

I think Burr knew more than the public did. But I don't think there's enough to hang him on.