FBI reportedly issued warrant to Apple to get data from Sen. Burr’s iCloud account

FBI agents reportedly seized the cellphone of Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Wednesday as part of an investigation into stock trades he made before the market plunged due to the coronavirus pandemic. In order to get a warrant for the senator’s phone, the FBI first turned to Apple, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. 

FBI agents recently served a warrant to Apple to get information from Burr’s iCloud account, reported the Times, citing an unnamed law enforcement official. The data FBI agents got from Apple was then used as part of the evidence needed to obtain a warrant for Burr’s phone, according to the Times. 

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Between late January and mid-February, Burr and his wife sold between $600,000 and $1.7 million in stocks over 30 transactions, according to CBS News. Many of the stocks traded were in industries hit hard by the coronavirus. The FBI is reportedly investigating whether Burr violated a law preventing members of Congress from trading stocks based on information they receive through official work that isn’t available to the public. (Editors’ note: CNET and CBS News are both owned by ViacomCBS.)

The FBI and a spokeswoman for Burr’s office both declined to comment. 

Burr has publicly defended the transactions, according to CBS News, saying he relied solely on public news reports. He’s also asked the Senate Ethics Committee to review of the matter.