Former Rep. Chris Collins recommended for 57-month prison term for insider trading charges

Chris Collins.
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Former Rep. Chris Collins is still going through it.

The New York Republican resigned from Congress back in September after pleading guilty to insider trading charges, which were slated to land him in prison for up to 57 months, or just under five years. Now, a court filing issued Monday reveals federal prosecutors are seeking a sentence at the "top end" of that 46- to 57-month window, The Buffalo News reports.

Collins was indicted back in summer 2018 for the insider trading charges, some of which were apparently accrued on the White House lawn. The court filing released Monday makes that point obvious, describing how Collins tried to call his son shortly after he learned — before a public announcement — the pharmaceutical company they had both invested in had failed its clinical trial.

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The filing also goes after Collins' alleged "cynicism" for "repeatedly violat[ing] federal law while continuing to accept the trust of the public to draft it," seeing as Collins pursued and won re-election even when under indictment.

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When asked about the news surrounding his former New York colleague, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Collins "should be sentenced and he should serve some time."

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.