Sen. Loeffler ethics inquiry dismissed
Senate Ethics Committee drops inquiry into Georgia Republican weeks after Justice Department
The Senate Ethics Committee dismissed insider trading allegations concerning Sen. Kelly Loeffler, weeks after the Justice Department concluded its inquiry into whether she sold off stock after a coronavirus briefing using material nonpublic information.
The ethics panel wrote Tuesday to the Georgia Republican informing her it “did not find evidence that your actions violated federal law, Senate Rules, or standards of conduct.” The committee “has dismissed this matter,” the letter states. It will take no further action.
Deborah Sue Mayer, the committee’s staff director who authored the letter, did not respond to CQ Roll Call’s inquiry about the statement’s authenticity. A copy of the letter was provided to CQ Roll Call by a Loeffler spokesperson.
“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,” Loeffler’s spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Loeffler began selling stock on Jan. 24, the same day White House officials briefed her and her Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee colleagues about the coronavirus. She sold over $1 million in stock, according to The Daily Beast.
Loeffler’s colleague in the Senate, Richard M. Burr, a North Carolina Republican, is currently under investigation by the Justice Department for alleged insider trading.