Brian Burch
The data on this page comes from a financial disclosure filed by Brian Burch, who was picked to be: Ambassador to the Holy See, Department of State. It is part of a collection of thousands of ethics documents ProPublica has been collecting from across the Trump administration.
Roles Outside Government
Officials are required to disclose paid or unpaid positions they hold or recently held outside the federal government, including roles as officer, director, trustee or employee. (Form 278e, Part 1)
| Organization | Position held | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Vote Civic Action | President, 4/2005 - Present | 1 | |
| Catholic Vote Education Fund | Executive Director, 4/2005 - Present | 2 | |
| Morningstar LLC | Owner, 1/2014 - Present | 3 | |
| Verve Mail LLC | Partner / Owner, 7/2011 - Present | 4 | |
| Frontline Strategies LLC | Partner, 4/2024 - Present | 5 | |
| Virion Strategies LLC | Member / Co- Owner, 2/2012 - Present | 6 | |
| The Send Team LLC | Partner, 10/2021 - 12/2024 | This LLC has been dissolved. | 7 |
| Seton Academy | President / Board Member, 1/2014 - Present | 8 | |
| Louis IX Foundation | Board Member, 9/2024 - Present | 9 | |
| DRC Holdings LLC | Partner/Owner, 2/2025 - Present | 10 | |
| Oakmont LLC | Member/Co- Owner, 12/2015 - Present | 11 | |
| Stag Solutions LLC | Managing member, 3/2024 - Present | This consulting LLC has no reportable value or income. | 12 |
Employment Assets
Officials are required to disclose assets associated with their employment, including salary, retirement accounts, stocks, intellectual property and awards or prizes. (Form 278e, Part 2)
| Description | Value | Income | Income Type | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morningstar LLC (digital strategy and consulting) | $15,001 - $50,000 | $63,500 | business distributions | 1 | |
| Verve Mail LLC (email service provider) | $500K - $1M | $100K | business distributions | 1.1 | |
| Catholic Vote Civic Action | $170K | salary | 2 | ||
| Catholic Vote Education Fund | $67,968 | salary | 3 | ||
| Virion Strategies (business strategy consulting) | None (or less than $1,001) | $260 | consulting fees | LLC has no assets and no ascertainable value as an entity. | 4 |
| The Send Team (digital fundraising agency) | None (or less than $1,001) | $13,030 | business distribution | 5 | |
| SIMPLE IRA | 6 | ||||
| Berkshire Focus Fund (BFOCX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 6.1 | ||
| ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 6.2 | ||
| Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bull 2X Shares (JNUG) | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 6.3 | ||
| Sep IRA | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 7 | ||
| Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bull 2X Shares (JNUG) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 7.1 | ||
| Frontline Strategies (digital fundraising services) | $4,000 | salary | 8 | ||
| DRC Holdings LLC | 9 | ||||
| Frontline Strategies (digital fundraising and marketing agency) | $5M - $25M | $198K | business distributions | 9.1 | |
| Oakmont LLC | 10 | ||||
| Residential real estate property - Montague, MI | $500K - $1M | $15,001 - $50,000 | Rent or Royalties | 10.1 |
Employment Agreements
Officials are required to disclose agreements relating to other jobs, including what will happen with any small businesses they own during government service and any continued health care coverage, planned leaves of absence, severance or bonuses. (Form 278e, Part 3)
| Organization | Agreement | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morningstar LLC | My consulting business will be inactive during my appointment and all outstanding client fees will be fixed before I enter government service. (2025-02-01) | 1 |
Compensation
Officials are required to disclose the sources of any compensation above $5,000 in a year. (Form 278e, Part 4)
| Organization | Description | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Vote Civic Action | President of 501(c)4 non profit | 1 | |
| Catholic Vote Education Fund | Executive Director of 501(c)3 Non-Profit | 2 | |
| Morningstar LLC | Personal LLC | 3 | |
| Verve Mail LLC | 50% owner of email services provider; sales and support | 4 | |
| Frontline Strategies | 26% owner / partner of digital fundraising and marketing agency; received distribution in 2024. Frontline also is client of Verve Mail LLC. | 5 | |
| Switchboard Labs LLC | Sales and consulting for digital services provided to source clients -- paid to Morningstar LLC (personal LLC) | 6 | |
| Reach Right Digital Marketing | Email services provided via Verve Mail LLC | 7 | |
| Emagnify | consulting services provided via Morningstar LLC | 8 | |
| Shiraz Media Corporation | Data rental services provided via Morningstar LLC | 9 | |
| Alliance Strategies Group | Email services provided via Verve Mail LLC | 10 | |
| Freedom Foundation | Email services provided via Verve Mail LLC | 11 | |
| Oakmont LLC | Services as a managing member. | 12 | |
| Switchboard Labs | consulting services provided via Morningstar LLC | 13 | |
| Innonde | consulting contract via Morningstar LLC | 14 |
Spouse’s Assets
Officials are required to disclose their spouse’s assets, including salary and retirement accounts worth more than $1,000. (Form 278e, Part 5)
Other Assets and Income
Officials are required to disclose other assets and sources of investment income belonging to them, their spouse or their dependent children. These include annuities, bonds, cash, college savings plans, farms, precious metals, real estate, stocks, trusts and wills. (Form 278e, Part 6)
| Description | Value | Income | Income Type | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BROKERAGE ACCOUNT | None (or less than $201) | 1 | |||
| Direxion Daily NVDA Bull 2X Shares (NVDU) | None (or less than $1,001) | $100K - $1M | 1.1 | ||
| ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) | None (or less than $1,001) | $1M - $5M | 1.2 | ||
| Direxion Daily TSLA Bear 2X Shares (TSLL) | None (or less than $1,001) | $50,001 - $100K | 1.3 | ||
| GraniteShares 2x Long Coinbase Daily ETF (CONL) | None (or less than $1,001) | $100K - $1M | 1.4 | ||
| Proshares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) | None (or less than $1,001) | $15,001 - $50,000 | 1.5 | ||
| Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Common Stock (AEM) | None (or less than $1,001) | $5,001 - $15,000 | Capital Gains | 1.6 | |
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALNY) | None (or less than $1,001) | $50,001 - $100K | Capital Gains | 1.7 | |
| Iamgold Corporation Ordinary Shares (IAG) | $250K - $500K | $15,001 - $50,000 | Capital Gains | 1.8 | |
| Intel Corp. (INTC) | None (or less than $1,001) | $5,001 - $15,000 | Capital Gains | 1.9 | |
| Direxion Daily NVDA Bear 2X Shares (NVDU) | None (or less than $1,001) | $100K - $1M | 1.10 | ||
| Proshares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ) | None (or less than $1,001) | $1,001 - $2,500 | 1.11 | ||
| ProShares UltraPro QQQ (TQQQ) | None (or less than $1,001) | $2,501 - $5,000 | 1.12 | ||
| GraniteShares 1x Short Tesla Daily ETF (TSLI) | None (or less than $1,001) | $50,001 - $100K | 1.13 | ||
| Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bull 2X Shares (JNUG) | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 1.14 | ||
| GraniteShares 2x Long Uber Daily ETF (UBRL) | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 1.15 | ||
| U.S. bank # cash | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 2 | ||
| U.S. Bank #2 (Cash) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 3 | ||
| Cryptocurrency Account | None (or less than $201) | 4 | |||
| Avalanche AVAX | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 4.1 | ||
| Graph GRT | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4.2 | ||
| Bitcoin BTC | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4.3 | ||
| Burch 6 LLC | 5 | ||||
| 57 acres vacant land- Flagstaff, AZ | $500K - $1M | None (or less than $201) | 5.1 | ||
| 19 acres vacant land - Phoenix, AZ | $500K - $1M | None (or less than $201) | 5.2 | ||
| Child #1 529 (Capital Group American Funds - VA) | 6 | ||||
| AMERICAN BALANCED FUND Class 529-F-2 (FBAFX) | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 6.1 | ||
| Child #2 529 (Capital Group American Funds - VA) | 7 | ||||
| AMERICAN BALANCED FUND Class 529-F-2 (FBAFX) | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 7.1 | ||
| Child #3 529 (Capital Group American Funds - VA) | 8 | ||||
| AMERICAN BALANCED FUND Class 529-F-2 (FBAFX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 8.1 | ||
| AMERICAN FUNDS GLOBAL BALANCED FUND Class 529-F-2 (FFGGX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 8.2 | ||
| Child # 4 529 (Capital Group American Funds - VA) | 9 | ||||
| AMERICAN BALANCED FUND Class 529-F-2 (FBAFX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 9.1 | ||
| AMERICAN FUNDS GLOBAL BALANCED FUND Class 529-F-2 (FFGGX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 9.2 | ||
| Child #5 529 (Capital Group American Funds - VA) | 10 | ||||
| AMERICAN BALANCED FUND Class 529-F-2 (FBAFX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 10.1 | ||
| Child #6 529 (Capital Group American Funds - VA) | 11 | ||||
| AMERICAN BALANCED FUND Class 529-F-2 (FBAFX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 11.1 |
Liabilities
Officials are required to disclose their liabilities totaling more than $10,000, as well as any linked to their spouse or dependent children. These include mortgages, credit card debt and student loans. The interest rates and loan repayment terms are also required. (Form 278e, Part 8)
About the Data
Most political appointees and senior officials in the executive branch are required by law to file public financial disclosure reports. These are documents that detail their financial holdings, positions they hold outside government, their spouse’s holdings, their liabilities and their recent financial transactions (such as buying or selling stock) during a defined reporting period.
The most senior officials file their disclosures with an agency called the Office of Government Ethics, and others file them with a designated ethics official within their agency. The Ethics in Government Act allows members of the public and the press to request these documents.
We’re publishing this information to give the public an important glimpse into the financial ties of a powerful and often hidden cadre of presidential appointees within the federal bureaucracy.
The main document type included in the database is the OGE Form 278e, which appointees must file when they are nominated (for Senate-confirmed appointees) or when they enter government (all others), and then annually while in the position. Another common document included is the OGE Form 278-T, also known as a periodic transaction report, which all public filers must submit within 30 days of a transaction. We are also making other ethics documents available, such as ethics agreements, certificates of divestiture and other documents we have obtained under the Ethics in Government Act.
Join us on Wednesday, April 8 for a walkthrough of ProPublica's new database of financial disclosures from Trump appointees and any potential conflicts they reveal. Register here.
