Thursday, October 12, 2017

Ethics Panel Has Substantial Reason to Believe Rep. Collins Broke Federal Law


There is "a substantial reason to believe" that Congressional Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY 27th District) Violated Federal Law by touting the Stock of an obscure Australian Biotech Firm based on Inside Information, while also possibly Breaking House Ethics Rules by persuading National Institutes of Health Officials to meet with a Staffer from that Company.

Those were the Key Conclusions of an Office of Congressional Ethics Report released Thursday on Collins' Relationship with an Australian Biotech Firm called Innate Immunotherapeutics (Innate). Based on that Report, the House Ethics Committee said it was continuing its Investigation of Collins, one of President Trump's Strongest Congressional Allies. Unlike the Office of Congressional Ethics, the Ethics Committee has the Power to Sanction Errant Lawmakers.

The Office of Congressional Ethics recommended that the Ethics Committee Dismiss a Third Charge against Collins: that he got a Discount on a Private Sale of Innate's Stock based on the Fact that he was a Member of Congress. And the Ethics Report offers No Evidence for Allegations by Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY 25th District) and others that Collins Wrote an Amendment that made its way into Law in Order to Benefit Innate.

But the Two Remaining Charges against Collins and the 155 Pages of Evidence released with the Office of Congressional Ethics Report collectively portray a Congressman working Hard on Behalf of an Australian Company in possible Violation of U.S. Law and House Ethics Rules.

According to the Office of Congressional Ethics Report:

• Three times in 2015 and 2016, Collins sent Emails to Innate Investors that included what appears to be Private Information about the Company. By doing that, Collins may have Violated the Federal Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, a Law barring Insider Trading among Members of Congress, as well as House Ethics Guidelines.

• In November 2013, Collins met with Officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and asked that an NIH Researcher meet with Innate's Chief Science Officer to discuss possible Clinical Trials for the Company's Experimental Multiple Sclerosis Drug. That could have Violated House Rules that Bar Lawmakers from taking Official Actions that would Benefit an Entity in which they have a Significant Financial Interest.

CLICK HERE to read the 16 page (pdf) Body of Evidence collection by Office of Congressional Ethics.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
Digg! StumbleUpon

No comments: