Senate Ethics Panel Drops Insider Trading Probe Into Kelly Loeffler

TOPLINE

The Senate Ethics Committee on Tuesday dropped its investigation into stock trades made by Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) as the coronavirus outbreak was gathering steam—but it might not be enough to help her hold onto her Senate seat.

KEY FACTS

Crucial quote

“The Senate Ethics Committee has come to the exact same conclusion as the U.S. Department of Justice: Senator Loeffler did absolutely nothing wrong and has been completely exonerated,” a spokesperson for Loeffler said in a statement. “Despite the obvious attempts by the media, political opportunists and liberal groups like CREW and Common Cause to distort reality, facts still matter and the truth is prevailing.” Watchdog groups Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and Common Cause initially made the complaint to the Senate Ethics Committee.

News peg

Though the DOJ dropped its probe into Loeffler along with Senators Diane Fienstien (D-Ca.) and James Inhofe (R-Ok.), the FBI is still investigating Sen. Richard Burr (R-Nc.), who was more involved with his stock trades. Burr’s cell phone was seized as part of the investigation and he has insisted that he acted on public news reports from Asia about the virus.