Western New York Congressman Chris Collins has resigned, ahead of a court session Tuesday afternoon at which, according to court filings, he will plead “guilty” to insider trading charges.
Collins submitted his letter of resignation to Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday. The 27th District Republican narrowly won re-election last fall over Democrat Nate McMurray. Those voters will now be without representation until Governor Cuomo calls a special election.
Collins was charged in August of 2018 with insider trading, using information he learned as a director of a biotech company to warn his son and the father of his son’s fiance to sell off stock in the Australian firm before news was released of a failed drug trail.