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Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) in the U.S. Capitol during a senate vote in October. More than 40 current and former lawmakers have supported Burr’s defense fund.
CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-N.C.) legal defense fund has received at least $520,000 in contributions, including $87,000 from the start of July to the end of September, according to a disclosure filed last month with the secretary of the senate. Burr had come under scrutiny for stock trades he made at the outset of the pandemic.
The Department of Justice closed its investigation without filing charges in January. Citing a new filing, ProPublica reported last month that the senator’s brother-in-law called his stockbroker one minute after receiving a call from Burr, who had “material nonpublic information regarding the incoming economic impact of coronavirus.”
The fund’s latest disclosure puts the number of current and former lawmakers who’ve contributed to their colleague’s defense at 40. Money has poured in from PACs for Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah ($10,000), Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama ($5,000), Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith of Mississippi ($2,500) and Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan ($2,000). None of the lawmakers’ offices responded to inquiries.
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Other notable donors include J. Neal Blue, CEO of the defense contractor responsible for the predator drone. He donated $10,000. Julianne Chambliss, the spouse of former Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, gave $2,500.
Burr’s defense fund also reversed an earlier contribution from Burt Rosen, a former lobbyist for opioid giant Purdue Pharma. Rosen, who launched his own firm last year and is now representing other pharmaceutical giants, donated $2,500 in May, intending to give the money to Burr’s election campaign rather than his defense fund, according to the disclosure. (Burr announced in 2016 that he wouldn’t seek re-election when his term expires.)
Burr’s defense fund has paid the law firm Latham & Watkins $535,000, according to the disclosures. His office did not respond to an inquiry.
Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-N.C.) legal defense fund received 12 contributions totaling $87,000 last quarter.
SECRETARY OF THE SENATE/RICHARD BURR LEGAL EXPENSE TRUST
I took an unusual route to get here. In a past life, I worked as a travel and food writer, which is how I got the assignment in 2016 to cover the grand opening of the
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I took an unusual route to get here. In a past life, I worked as a travel and food writer, which is how I got the assignment in 2016 to cover the grand opening of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., just a couple miles from my home. When Trump won the election and refused to divest his business, I stayed on the story, starting a newsletter called 1100 Pennsylvania (named after the hotel’s address) and contributed to Vanity Fair, Politico and NBC News. I’m still interested in Trump, but I’ve broadened my focus to follow the money connected to other politicians as well—both Republicans and Democrats.