Senator Richard Burr Stepping Down as Chairman of Intelligence Committee

North Carolina Senator Richard Burr is stepping down as Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The surprising news of his sudden departure comes as Burr maintains his innocence while under investigation for million dollar stock trades he made prior to the market downturn that was triggered by the pandemic. Burr has been in charge of the committee since 2015 and has spearheaded the nearly concluded three-year investigation into possible Russian interference during the 2016 election. Burr said he was resigning because “this is a distraction to the hard work of the committee and the members and I think the security of the country is too important to have any distractions.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not announced a replacement but there have been rumors that Senator Marco Rubio will be named Interim Chairman.