Posted on 01/18/2020 2:39:08 PM PST by nickcarraway
Former Congressman Chris Collins has learned his fate in his federal insider trading case.
A U.S. District judge sentenced him to 26 months in prison Friday. He was also fined $200,000.
Collins pleaded guilty to securities fraud conspiracy and making false statements to the FBI.
He was sentenced in federal court in Manhattan.
It’s the culmination of a case that began back in August 2018 when Collins was first arrested and charged with this insider trading scheme.
He maintained his innocence and won re-election. Then last year, he reversed course, pleaded guilty, and resigned from his office in Congress.
Collins on Friday broke down and got emotional with a 12-minute address to the court. He was continually choking back sobs and was hard to understand at times.
He said, "I have violated my core values and I don't deserve your sympathy."
Collins apologized to his family, to his former colleagues in Congress, and to the FBI agents he lied to.
The judge in the case noted that Collins' constituents have been without representation since last October when he resigned his seat.
There is now a special election scheduled for April 28 to fill that seat.
Collins is due to surrender on March 13. He will most likely be spending his time in Pensacola, Florida near the home where he now lives, saying he could no longer face his constituents.
He did not respond when asked by reporters if he expects to be pardoned by President Trump, a longtime ally.
Democrat Nate McMurray, who Collins defeated in the race for the 27th congressional district in November 2018, released a statement Friday evening, saying:
“Years of lies by Collins and those who justified his crimes ends like this. Tears. An empty seat. It’s a sad moment. No sentence can heal the damage caused. The sting will linger.
Remember this. Who brought us here. So when we look back, we will see how far we’ve come. I'm heading to my son's basketball game, watching a movie with my family, going to sleep, and waking up tomorrow to continue the fight to restore integrity to NY-27 and Washington.”
Republican Sen. Rob Ortt, an NY-27 candidate, also released a statement, saying:
“The constituents of NY-27 deserve better, and today provides us the opportunity to close this disappointing chapter and start fresh. This district deserves a faithful and hardworking conservative representing them in Congress, putting the needs of Western New York and America first. I believe I am the candidate best qualified to do so and it is my sincere hope that I’m afforded the opportunity to once again serve my country.”
Good. Corruption on either side should be punished.
And he'll get none from any of us, but the thing that pisses me off, is that when a demonRAT gets caught doing similar crap, that get a wrist slap and another gummint yob.
If he where a RAT, he would have walked. Republican have a different set of rules.
Parade of Republicans going to jail but no notable Democrats
“False statement to the FBI” or “from the FBI”?
How any GOP politician could do something stupid knowing their every breath is being scrutinized by vicious enemies is just mind boggling.
There are 2 systems of justice. marxists get very little or no punishment for their crimes.
WE ALL have a different set of rules, somebody NEEDS to change this or there will be an uprising, I don’t know how much longer the American people will tolerate this unequal justice BS!!!
Maybe it’s coincidental, but the timing of this announcement seems suspicious, and the GAO announcement was plainly so.
Do you REALLY BELIEVE that the fricking Dems are not guilty of insider trading?? Funny how it goes completely under the radar if your a Dem!!!
Collins is a country-club Republican, who used his wealth and name to grab a safely conservative seat. BUT - he was one of the earliest of Trump supporters in Congress.
“He said, ‘I have violated my core values and I don’t deserve your sympathy.’”
You’ve got it! LOSER!
And they are more angry someone else may have exposed them.
That amounts to about one drop of swap...500 gallons to go!
I don’t mind at all. He was found guilty.
Now, how about ten trials at least, knowing what we know about Leftists.
I was thinking the same except that Democrats never admit to their corruption.
They are given super-lawyers paid for by outside hidden entities and promised book deals that supplements and expands their retirement plan. They are taken care of so they never turn on their handlers.
The response from the Democrat sounded like somebody who’ll cross the aisle to help all his constituents. Sarcoff//
But those who really need to be indicted and prosecuted are to this day still roaming free
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