Senator Burr sticks his head in the sand on investigation into Russia’s interference in 2016 election
RALEIGH – Sen. Richard Burr has apparently decided to stick his head in the sand when it comes to investigating the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia during the 2016 election, despite Burr’s position as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Burr this week declared he has seen no evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia leading up to the 2016 election, while Burr’s committee has yet to interview key members of Trump’s campaign team who have been convicted or pleaded guilty to crimes exposed by the ongoing investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
- On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that Manafort has lied to federal prosecutors about a secret meeting with a Russian agent where polling data was given to the Russian agent just two weeks after the 2016 GOP Convention.
- Burr’s committee failed to interview top Trump campaign aide Rick Gates, who was also at the meeting where Manafort gave polling information to a Russian agent. Gates has pled guilty to felony charges of conspiracy and making false statements.
- Burr’s committee also failed to interview former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn who pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about conversations with the Russian ambassador last December, becoming the first senior White House official to cut a cooperation deal in the special counsel’s wide-ranging inquiry into election interference.
- Burr’s committee also failed to interview ex-Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to FBI about Russian contacts.
“Senator Burr’s conclusion of no collusion is like the Keystone Cops claiming the case is closed with nothing to see while the local jail is chockablock with convicted criminals whose fingerprints are all over the crime scene,” said Gerrick Brenner of Progress NC Action.
