Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Claim: Sen. Kelly Loeffler was exonerated of insider trading. Fact check: False

Sen. Kelly Loeffler
Drew Angerer/Getty Images



For somebody to be exonerated, there needs to be an investigation where the individual is properly charged of the claims being investigated. The Justice Department is closing its investigations into Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and James Inhofe of Oklahoma and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California for stocks trades made shortly before the coronavirus-caused market decline. The Washington Post first reported Tuesday prosecutors had alerted the senators' defense attorneys the investigation was coming to a close. North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, continues to be investigated for his "more direct" involvement in trading stock following several closed briefings that evaluated the severity of the pandemic since its outbreak in China.

The probe, which the FBI started two months ago, was just an investigation into claims that the senators had used private information to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock. The Department of Justice never charged the senators for insider trading, which means an exoneration isn't possible. Hence, Loeffler's claim she was exonerated is false.

All four senators have widely denied their impropriety in the trading. In a recent tweet, Loeffler said the investigation was a "politically motivated attack" and the "clear exoneration affirms what I've said all along: I did nothing wrong."

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

Read More

Business professional watching stocks go down.
Getty Images, Bartolome Ozonas

The White House Is Booming, the Boardroom Is Panicking

The Confidence Collapse

Consumer confidence is plummeting—and that was before the latest Wall Street selloffs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship
Getty Images, Mykyta Ivanov

Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship

The current approaches to proactively counteracting authoritarianism and censorship fall into two main categories, which we call “fighting” and “Constitution-defending.” While Constitution-defending in particular has some value, this article advocates for a third major method: draining interest in authoritarianism and censorship.

“Draining” refers to sapping interest in these extreme possibilities of authoritarianism and censorship. In practical terms, it comes from reducing an overblown sense of threat of fellow Americans across the political spectrum. When there is less to fear about each other, there is less desire for authoritarianism or censorship.

Keep ReadingShow less
"Vote" pin.
Getty Images, William Whitehurst

Most Americans’ Votes Don’t Matter in Deciding Elections

New research from the Unite America Institute confirms a stark reality: Most ballots cast in American elections don’t matter in deciding the outcome. In 2024, just 14% of eligible voters cast a meaningful vote that actually influenced the outcome of a U.S. House race. For state house races, on average across all 50 states, just 13% cast meaningful votes.

“Too many Americans have no real say in their democracy,” said Unite America Executive Director Nick Troiano. “Every voter deserves a ballot that not only counts, but that truly matters. We should demand better than ‘elections in name only.’”

Keep ReadingShow less
Hands outside of bars.
Getty Images, stevanovicigor

Double Standard: Investing in Animal Redemption While Ignoring Human Rehabilitation

America and countries abroad have mastered the art of taming wild animals—training the most vicious killers, honing killer instincts, and even domesticating animals born for the hunt. Wild animals in this country receive extensive resources to facilitate their reintegration into society.

Americans spent more than $150 billion on their pets in 2024, with an estimated spending projection of $200 million by 2030. Millions of dollars are poured into shelters, rehabilitation programs, and veterinary care, as shown by industry statistics on animal welfare spending. Television ads and commercials plead for their adoption. Stray animal hotlines operate 24/7, ensuring immediate rescue services. Pet parks, relief stations in airports, and pageant shows showcase animals as celebrities.

Keep ReadingShow less