Former Congressman Chris Collins, who pleaded guilty to insider trading while a sitting representative in New York is out of prison.
He was supposed to serve out the remainder of his sentence into 2022. However, the former Congressman from the 27th District was pardoned by President Donald Trump.
The president pardoned 15 people late-Tuesday.
His original sentence called for 26 months in prison. Collins was accused of helping his son and others avoid $800,000 in stock market losses after learning that a drug trial failed.
“Mr. Collins served in Congress for nearly seven years, representing the people of Western New York from 2013 to 2019. Mr. Collins spent his early career as a successful businessman and entrepreneur, before devoting his life to public service,” a press release from The White House read. “In 2007, Mr. Collins was elected County Executive for Erie County, New York, a position he held for one four-year term, and in 2012 the people of New York’s 27th congressional district elected Mr. Collins to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was subsequently re-elected to this seat three times. During his tenure in Congress, Mr. Collins was known for his particular focus on the wellbeing of small businesses, agriculture, and sciences.”
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