Rep. Collins resigns; guilty plea expected
Rep. Chris Collins, a fourth-term Republican from western New York who narrowly won reelection last year despite fighting federal securities fraud charges, resigned Monday in advance of an expected guilty plea.
Collins, 69, the first sitting member of Congress to endorse President Donald Trump in 2016, had been accused of using private information about a drug company in which he was invested to help his son and others avoid financial losses.
Collins was to be tried in February along with his son, Cameron Collins, 26, and a third man, all of whom had pleaded not guilty. But a document filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Monday said there would be a “change of plea” hearing Tuesday for Collins, though the filing did not indicate what charges he would be pleading guilty to.
Cameron Collins and the third defendant, Stephen Zarsky, whose daughter is engaged to Cameron Collins, were set to appear for their own “change of plea” hearings Thursday.
The three men were facing charges of conspiracy, securities and wire fraud and making false statements.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office received a letter of resignation from Collins on Monday, a spokesman for Pelosi confirmed, and his resignation will be effective once the letter is filed during the House’s pro forma session Tuesday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York also received Collins’ letter.
With Collins’ resignation, Cuomo, a Democrat, will have to call a special election to fill the seat.
A spokeswoman for Collins did not immediately return a request for comment, nor did lawyers for him and his son. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
There is no law that requires members of Congress to give up their seats when convicted of a felony. But Collins had faced intense pressure from members of his own party to not seek reelection after his indictment last August.
Several Republicans had already announced plans to run in the primary election: two state senators, Chris Jacobs and Robert Ortt, as well as Beth Parlato, a lawyer and former judge. Republican Party officials, including the state party’s chairman, Nick Langworthy, had suggested that they would like to see a candidate other than Collins run.
In addition, Nate McMurray, the Democratic town supervisor of Grand Island, New York, which is just north of Buffalo, has declared his plans to run again.