Senator Richard Burr Sold D.C. Townhouse to Donor at a Rich Price

[BeckyDem]

In a private transaction, Richard Burr, Republican of North Carolina, sold the townhouse to lobbyists who had business before his committees.

by Robert Faturechi April 14, 2:15 p.m. EDT

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, has come under fire in recent weeks for unloading stock holdings right before the market crashed on fears of coronavirus and for a timely sale of shares in an obscure Dutch fertilizer company.

Now the North Carolina Republican’s 2017 sale of his Washington, D.C., home to a group led by a donor and powerful lobbyist who had business before Burr’s committee is raising additional ethical questions.

Burr sold the small townhouse, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, for what, by some estimates, was an above market price — $900,000 — to a team led by lobbyist John Green. That is tens of thousands of dollars above some estimates of the property’s value by tax assessors, a real estate website and a local real estate agent. The sale was done off-market, without the home being listed for sale publicly.Green is a longtime donor to Burr’s political campaigns and has co-hosted at least one fundraiser for him. In 2017, the year of the sale, Green lobbied on behalf of a stream of clients with business before Burr’s committees.

Ethics experts are generally troubled when politicians enter into business transactions with donors or lobbyists with matters before them. The legality of this sale hinges on whether the home was purchased for fair market value. If it was purchased for more than that, it would be considered a gift. Gifts of significant value from lobbyists are generally banned by Senate ethics rules, and those that aren’t are typically required to be publicly disclosed. Neither Burr nor Green disclosed any such gifts. Gifts that are intended to influence official actions are illegal.

https://www.propublica.org/article/senator-richard-burr-sold-d-c-townhouse-to-donor-at-a-rich-price


Republicans for Sale

[Bev54]

1. That is one way to get your bribe paid

[Sneederbunk]

2. An insider trader is also a money launderer. Who knew?

[BComplex]

3. North Carolina needs to run someone against him in 2 years when his term is up.

The Koch brothers bought north carolina about 10 years ago, and sprinkled tea partiers throughout the neighborhoods to rally the crazies. It worked. They spent billions helping redistricting (gerrymandering) and pushing fox "news" full-throttle. They financed young, white, radical conservatives to begin grooming for higher offices, starting them on the local level. They were very well organized....that's how they take over a state.

But many people in north carolina seem to be waking up, so I'm hopeful the state will start moving toward a more democratic majority. This mess with Burr is a good start.

[ronatchig]

5. As a resident of NC

I am very proud to say that Burr has announced his retirement in '22. The only problem is that his retirement is 12 years too late for the good of NC and the world for that matter.

[BComplex]

6. Hmm. Did not know that. So all this sleaze is without repercussions for him.

That stinks. At least we can make a case against the republicans' reputations with him thrown into the mix.

[jimfields33]

4. A neighbor of mine sold his house for 350K

Nope worth 300 tops but the buyer wanted it and wrote a check for it. Some people just want a house no matter the cost. Nope I don’t have that luck. Although everytime one of those pesky companies call and ask to buy my house. I say it’s yours for 500K. They never bite. Lol.

[BeckyDem]

8. ha ha +1

[Celerity]

7. K & R