Tag: Chris Collins

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News Round-Up: December 22, 2020

Dan Levy accepting his trophy at the 2020 Emmy Awards (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: Emmy Award-winner Dan Levy (above) is working on a number of new projects including a new romantic comedy that he may star in. • WeHoVille: West Hollywood’s City Council unanimously approved creating a crosswalk painted in the colors of the transgender flag on Monday night and also updating the rainbow crosswalks to add the colors brown and black to symbolize greater inclusivity. • Out Music: Out Norwegian musician Marie Ulven (aka girl in red) drops this lovely melancholy pop bop, “two queens in a king-sized bed.” Since being discovered on Soundcloud five years ago, Ulven has impressed music fans with her ethereal sound as well as her choosing to lean into her queerness.

• CNN: Donald Trump has begun issuing presidential pardons and among the recipients are former Reps. Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter. Both are Republicans, and both were the first in Congress to endorse Trump for president. • Philly Inquirer: Looks like we found that ‘voter fraud’ folks have been talking about. A man in Delaware county registered his dead mother and mother-in-law to vote using their IDs, and he then cast a mail-in ballot…..for Donald Trump. The 70-year-old admitted to casting the illegal ballot to “further the campaign of Donald Trump.” • The Herald: A wedding venue in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, – the Warehouse on Ivy – denied a same-sex couple the opportunity to hold their wedding there citing its ‘Christian values.’ North Carolina is one of 27 states with no statewide laws offering protection from discrimination against the LGBTQ community.

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Trump Supporter, Rep. Chris Collins, Arrested On Insider Trading Charges, Drops Bid For Reelection

Republican Congressman Chris Collins of New York

 Donald Trump’s first congressional endorser, Rep. Chris Collins of New York, was not only investigated, but arrested on insider trading charges.

From CNBC:

Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y. pleaded not guilty Wednesday afternoon to federal insider trading charges, according to NBC News.

The congressman was arrested earlier in the day on charges that he shared non-public information with family and friends related to Australian biotech company Innate Immunotherapeutics, on which Collins served as a board member.

An indictment released Wednesday alleges that Collins, 68, scrambled to call his son from the White House lawn and share information with him about a failed drug trial, and that his son and others then sold stock based on that tip before the trial results became public.

Collins’ son, Cameron Collins, 25, as well as the father of his fiancee, Stephen Zarsky, 66, were also charged, according to the court filing. All three pleaded not guilty on Wednesday and will be released on $500,000 bond. Collins now must surrender his diplomatic passport and firearms within 14 days.

CNBC has also reported that Collins used campaign donations to pay legal bills while being investigated – probably not what his supporters expected their money to be used for.

Since July 2017, Federal Election Commission records show Collins’ campaign has been paying up to $60,000 per month in legal services to prestigious law firm BakerHostetler.

Collins announced Saturday that he is dropping his bid for reelection.

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