Corrupt GOP Rep. Collins has been paying huge legal bills with campaign contributions

by Laura Clawson

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday, Aug. 09, 2018 Thursday, Aug. 09, 2018 at 11:51:44am PDT

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 08: Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) walks out of a New York court house after being charged with insider trading on August 8, 2018 in New York City. Federal prosecutors have charged Collins, one of President Trump's earliest congressional supporters, with securities fraud, accusing the congressman and his son of using inside information about a biotechnology company to make illicit stock trades. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) — Chris Collins

Congratulations to Rep. Chris Collins’ (R-NY) donors. Not only has he been arrested for insider trading, but you guys have been paying his rather impressive legal fees—up to $60,000 a month!

A spokesman for the Collins legal team confirmed that the payments from the campaign were for the investigation by the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics and an ongoing inquiry by the House Ethics Committee. Going forward, the congressman will pay for his legal bills out of his own pocket, the spokesman added.

Isn’t that big of him—now that he’s actually been arrested in a criminal case and not just investigated by ethics offices, he’ll pay his own bills. What a guy.