CALLING IT QUITS

Rep. Chris Collins Ends Re-Election Campaign

Days after pleading not guilty to insider trading charges in federal court.

Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) suspended his re-election campaign for Congress on Saturday, just days after he was arrested for an alleged insider trading scheme. In a statement, Collins said he’d decided it was in the best interests of “President Trump’s agenda” and the Republican Party as a whole for him to step aside. “I will fill out the remaining few months of my term to assure that our community maintains its vote in Congress to support President Trump’s agenda to create jobs, eliminate regulations, reduce the size of government, address immigration and lower taxes,” he wrote. “I will also continue to fight the meritless charges against me and I look forward to having my good name cleared of any wrongdoing.” Collins is accused of passing information he obtained through his seat on the board of the biotechnology company Innate Immunotherapeutics to his son. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday and had reportedly initially told supporters he would still seek re-election.