Why Richard Burr and Kelly Loeffler are Done

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)

We are tired.  We are cranky.  We are scared.  And we are also looking for a villain.  That's kind of how I look at the Coronavirus pandemic as I sit in my house, officially anniversarying the last time I spoke to another person in real life by a week (at least someone I know-I think I spoke to a grocery store employee on Tuesday, but I can't remember-bless them either way, they're doing incredible work right now).  It is convenient, then, that the Republican Party was able to offer up two easy figures for us to hate during all of this.  There are few absolutes in American politics today, but I can guarantee one thing: the electoral careers of Sens. Richard Burr & Kelly Loeffler are over.

For those who have missed the story (there's a lot of news out there-you're forgiven), Burr & Loeffler have made headlines in the past week for seemingly violating the Stock Act.  Both of the two senators are on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and would have thus received insider information about the devastating effects that the coronavirus would have on the economy and certain industries, particularly travel-related stocks.  Burr delivered a private briefing two weeks before he unloaded $1.7 million worth of stock (an enormous percentage of his net worth), stating that he was worried about the effects the coronavirus would have on the economy, but in public he was saying different things.  The week before he sold off his stock, he wrote an opinion piece for Fox News stating the "United States is better prepared than ever before to face emerging public health threats, like the coronavirus."  That he unloaded millions of dollars worth of stock immediately after that before other news started to hit of how badly-prepared the administration was to handle coronavirus seems, at best, suspicious, and at worst, morally repugnant & criminal.  That the stock Burr was unloading were in hospitality-related companies such as Wyndham Hotels & Extended Stay America makes it sure look like it was more the latter than the former.

Loeffler's not in much better standing.  Loeffler dumped millions of dollars worth of stock after receiving her classified briefings in January, and since her sale those stocks have lost a third of their value, meaning that Loeffler was able to save millions of dollars through this sale.  That Loeffler's husband also unloaded a similarly-large amount of stocks before they also lost their value makes it look like they coordinated their efforts and that Loeffler shared private information with someone who wasn't cleared for it.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA)

Other senators, it should be noted, did sell stocks during this time frame, and are frequently listed in articles similar to the ones that contain repudiation for Burr & Loeffler.  However, none of them are quite as eyebrow-raising as Burr & Loeffler.  Jim Inhofe, Dianne Feinstein, and Ron Johnson all have sold stock during that time, but it doesn't appear to be related to shorting the market or anything nefarious, it's just what happens when you have a lot of very wealthy people under a microscope.  But Loeffler & Burr-there's little indication that they'll escape this, as it appears at the very least that they acted inappropriately, and probably in a criminal fashion.

It says something that these two figures are being attacked from both sides.  While you'd expect figures such as Reps. Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to call for their resignations, you're also getting that call from Fox News personalities Tucker Carlson and Jeanine Pirro, ripping these two senators asunder on their highly-watched (by conservatives, whom Loeffler & Burr need to support them) cable news programs.  While one could question the motives of Carlson & Pirro here, it goes without saying that these two going on the attack is an indication that Burr & Loeffler are no longer acceptable options for the GOP, and are done in politics.

In a different era they both would be resigning by Monday.  The Donald Trump era of politics means "deny, deny, deny, and hope the scandal goes away," but that's not really going to work.  Best case scenario for Burr is that he is able to retire in two years and avoid prison time, rather than resign now and await a trial (and truly-both of the latter are still on the table the longer this goes), but the damage is done.  His fellow senator Thom Tillis has stated that Burr "owes North Carolina an explanation," indicating that he's unlikely to stick with Burr if it costs him a shred of support in his reelection.  I'll be honest here-I don't see a way that Tillis stays in office if Burr does.  It'll be easy to attach the two through public statements, and the Democrats are already gaining ground on Tillis, who wasn't popular to begin with.  I'm curious to see what Mitch McConnell does here if he thinks Burr is costing Tillis reelection, as Tillis losing would probably cost him his majority...but Burr resigning would put another tossup race on the ballot in November.

Loeffler's in worse shape.  She already has an opponent to her right that was looking potentially stronger than her in the general election (Rep. Doug Collins).  Keep in mind that she was just appointed in January, Loeffler has never held political office before this, and this is the first thing that people are going to know about her.  I don't see how you recover from that when your election is just eight months away-there's nothing that Loeffler will be able to do to overcome this being the first impression people have her in public office, particularly when Republicans have a much easier option in Collins they can go with (and honestly, Trump clearly likes Collins better anyway-it was McConnell who insisted on Loeffler).

The reason this is most damning is because it's easy to see the negative ads against Loeffler, Burr, and by proxy, Tillis.  "While Georgians were dying, Kelly Loeffler made a fortune," "My father worked his whole life in a North Carolina power plant, and died while Richard Burr made millions"...these might be the easter-to-stomach of the ads.  The reality is that, as scary as it sounds, in the next two months most voters will know someone personally who dies from the coronavirus (that's why social distancing and pressuring more social distancing is so important-it might literally save that person's life).  Having ads proclaiming you made a fortune while other people died because there weren't enough hospital beds in a crisis you also claimed wasn't a big deal...it's just one of those things you can't get past.  You've entered Roy Moore territory where people feel disgusting voting for you, and don't.  It's unclear whether Burr or Loeffler will resign or whether they'll go to jail, but the American people won't stand for this when it comes to the elections-these two are finished in politics.