The Buffalo News is reporting that Rep Chris Collins (NY-27), the first Republican MoC to endorse Trump for President and a member of his transition team, is going to plead guilty to some form of insider trading charge this tomorrow afternoon. Collins’ son and his son’s father-in-law are also going to plead.
Collins loudly proclaimed his innocence when he was first charged with insider trading, and he barely beat Nate McMurray in the 2018 election in his R+11 district. We’ll find out what kind of deal he took, but nobody really thought he would run again. This will probably lead to a special election, which might be good news for Democrats, since they have a well-prepared candidate in Nate McMurray.
Also, good point from Margaret Sullivan, former editor of the Buffalo News:
Well, well. When this insider-trading story first broke, Collins repeatedly and harshly accused @JerryZremski and @TheBuffaloNews of digging up 'fake news.' (Collins was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump during the 2016 campaign.) https://t.co/yKMHYCizgY
— Margaret Sullivan (@Sulliview) September 30, 2019
JPL
sad
Jeffro
Wait…I thought yelling “FAKE NEWS” at the top of your lungs (or Twitter) granted you special immunity, magical powers, that sort of thing?
patrick II
It would take less tax dollars and police investigation if we just proved what few Republicans there are that are innocent of any serious crimes, empty out the cages holding immigrants at the border and repurpose them for Republicans.
NotMax
Does Club Fed offer a Family Plan?
scav
Current generation of team GOP: They do all seem to be cut of the same cloth — children and “in”-laws along for the scam.
NotMax
@Jeffro
It’s Republican for “Abracadabra.”
:)
Barbara
@NotMax: I know you were joking, but really, Club Fed often does recognize family relationships in deciding how to proceed with allegations of non-violent offenses where multiple family members are involved. People plead guilty to offenses like tax evasion all the time to avoid having their spouse or another family member implicated or forced to go to trial.
gene108
Will he resign his seat? Keep legislating from jail? Try to run for re-election?
???
cain
They all need to go to jail so that they can’t come back and try to run again. We’ll continue to consolidate the House and keep hacking away at the Senate. We might not have enough to kick Republicans out, but we can start trying to remove people like McConnell. If we can find someone as stupid as McCarthy we will be in good shape in the Senate provided we find an equally strong leader as Pelosi in the Senate. I don’t think Schumer is going to cut the mustard.
hells littlest angel
He’s pleading now while Trump still has pardon power.
NotMax
@gene108
Tune in next week. Same crap time! Same crap channel!
;)
Marcopolo
Two things:
First, Nate McMurray, who ran against Collins in 2018 (and came oh so close to winning) is running again in 2020. Here is the website for his campaign if you want to throw him some cash or otherwise help out: McMurray for Congress
Second, today is the 3rd Quarter deadline for campaign fundraising. All the campaigns will be reporting their quarterly numbers between tomorrow & October 15. If you have a candidate you like that you haven’t gotten around to supporting this would be a good time. If you don’t have a candidate but want to help Ds in 2020 then here is a link for the Retake the Senate fundraising page on ActBlue. You can make a donation that will be split among all the 2020 D Senate candidates or you can click through and give to that one race (Maine, Arizona, Kentucky, Iowa, etc…) that fires your heartstrings.
And have a great day!
jl
Is the Congresscrook caught on video committing the crime? If so, that was a big problem for him, right?
Gin & Tonic
@gene108: Wasn’t there a Congressman from Ohio who ran for re-election from prison?
Leon
Odds the Fox News chyron ‘accidentally’ identifies him as D-NY?
geg6
@hells littlest angel:
Heh. Do you suppose Dolt 45 even knows who he is at this point?
ChicagoPat
“the first Republican Mook to endorse Trump
geg6
@Gin & Tonic:
Jim Trafficant! He who had the worst “hair” I’d ever seen until I saw Mango Mussolini. Youngstown, OH representing!
Martin
Thornberry in TX-13 also retiring. I’m guessing this will accelerate as GOPers don’t want to roll into 2020 having to navigate impeachment questions.
Gravenstone
@Gin & Tonic: James Traficant. Although refreshing myself on his sordid career, he ran from prison as an independent, after being expelled from the House. Being an Ohio native, we got to hear about his ongoing stupidity, quite frequently. Yet he kept winning…
Gin & Tonic
@geg6: Yeah, that’s him. How can you forget that “hair”?
Leto
@Barbara: How does Club Fed recognize multiple treasonous family members?
@geg6: Chris who? Never met the guy.
cain
I’d like someone to run against Cheney in Utah. That gal has to got to go. So entitled.. we can stop her from trying to be a presidential candidate later.
Immanentize
I am somehow on a bunch of rightwing email lists perhaps just because I have talked at a panel sponsored by the Federalist Society (token libtard scape goat). Today, I received one from a guy running for Congress in NY 22 — which is where I grew up (Broome County and parts of the Southern Tier of NY). This nidget, Steve Cornwell is I am told, the current DA of Broome County. Here is what he writes:
(emphasis original)
So, I just finished writing my Criminal Law mid-term exam. This is yours: How many legal errors can you spot in these few sentences? Is this guy a serious candidate?!
Immanentize
@Martin: And they don’t like being in the minority. Thornberry is ranking member of a committee he used to Chair, I think….
Marcopolo
@cain: I assume you meant to say Liz Cheney from Wyoming? No congresspeople from Utah are named Cheney.
Spanky
@Immanentize: Five, I think, although one may be semantics.
Roger Moore
@cain:
Wyoming, not Utah. I agree it would be good to be rid of her, but the Democratic party is weak enough out there that it’s unlikely to happen.
NotMax
@Gravenstone
Precedent going back almost as far as the country does.
cmorenc
@cain:
If you’re referring to Liz Cheney daughter of Dick “Darth Vader” Cheney, she’s the Congressperson from Wyoming, not Utah.
Leto
@Immanentize:
You either have powerful enemies, or funny friends. I’ll leave it to you to figure which is more likely.
How was Immp’s trip? Is he back, or off getting his nipples pierced? Did you get a chance to see the two articles I linked for you yesterday?
Edit: but as to your question: “I’m just a simple Air Force dorm lawyer…”
jonas
@Immanentize: So apparently in Broome County, if you’re a whistleblower who brings an allegation of serious crimes going on at city hall, and then the mayor actually releases a telephone call transcript in which he is engaging in corruption, the DA will basically tell you to get bent. Good to know.
NY-22 was one of the blue-flipped districts (barely) in 18, represented by Anthony Brindisi who, afaik, is one of the last Dem holdouts on endorsing impeachment. The district voted for Trump +15 in 2016, so I get why he’s holding his cards close. But this Cornwell guy is a complete whackjob. I doubt he’s going anywhere. Plus, he’d have to get by Claudia Tenney in the primary, another bonafide whackjob whom Brindisi beat, and who desperately wants her old job back carrying water for Trump.
sdhays
@hells littlest angel: If he thought President Liddle’ Hands remembered his name, he’d ask for a pardon now, without the plea.
Liddle’ Hands only pardons people who a) have something on him (maybe…he still hasn’t pardoned poor old Mikey Flynn or Pauly Manafort) or b) is guilty of something he thinks should be legal (see Arpaio’s disgusting abuse of inmates).
HumboldtBlue
Here’s a timeline of the Ukrainian fiasco from WaPo.
sdhays
@Roger Moore: I’ve read that neighboring Idaho is seeing an influx of people from California as housing prices make it too expense to live there, with the implication that in a decade or so, Idaho might be much more pink or purply than its current deep red. With Wyoming so sparsely populated, a similar trend may make a difference there faster than one might expect.
NotMax
@sdhays
Have to double (or treble) the number of liberals in Wyoming to form a political minyan.
/close hyperbole
:)
HumboldtBlue
And another Texas Republican decides not to run for re-election.
japa21
OT but a cute little anecdote.
Since retiring 3.5 years ago, I started working part time in a mentally undemanding position (50 years of mentally demanding was enough). Last week and this week my boss is training a young man (early 30’s) to take her position in a different location. I heard her having a discussion with him and caught the words “would you want to go back there?”
I asked her about it and she informed me he is from Iran and is currently working towards getting his green card. I asked if he was worried at all and she said he was doing everything totally by the book. I told her that may not mean anything with this current administration. I should note, I have no idea what her political leanings are.
She said two things in response to my comment.
“With this administration, I’m surprised we’re all alive.”
“Trump is an example of why the phrase ‘Anyone can grow up to be President’ should never again be uttered.”
I think I now know how she feels about Trump.
CaseyL
@sdhays: That’s good to hear
Idaho is lovely and the only thing keeping it off my post-retirement move-to list has been its deep deep redness.
germy
Another woman has come forward.
http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2019/09/he-said-she-said-she-said-she-said-she-said-she-said-she-said-she-said-she-said-she-said
FlipYrWhig
@HumboldtBlue: It has occurred to me that “corruption” in this scandal is functioning much the same way “adoption” did in the Russian one. “Actually, it was a productive meeting in which we discussed
electoral skulduggeryadoptionum CORRUPTION, yes, corruption is what it was about.”JoeyJoeJoe
@Gravenstone: I believe that his expulsion hearing is still available on YouTube. It’s worth watching, I think
germy
https://www.thecut.com/2019/09/another-woman-says-al-franken-groped-her.html#_ga=2.192506794.1021264287.1569849812-569128361.1551387542
trollhattan
@sdhays: @CaseyL:
Of course we’re shedding our Republicans foremost so don’t presume Californication=Pelosification.
And Idaho is Fucking Freezing in winter, if that’s a consideration.
Leto
@trollhattan: I have really good friends stationed there. Roughly 9 out of 12 months being snow isn’t my cup of tea. I guess eventually with climate change it’ll change those numbers so…
NotMax
@Leto
Coeur d’Alene coconuts and Boise breadfruit.
Mmm.
:)
NotMax
@NotMax
Although the evangelicals and assorted RWNJs would probably outlaw the growing of – *gasp* – passion fruit. Think of the children!
;)
donnah
Chris Collins has just resigned, according to MSNBC.
ChrisS
Boise is a bit of a burgeoning tech hotspot now that Seattle and SF/ San Jose are too expensive. Fastest growing state in the country. This is the double-edged sword when locals elect pro-business GOP yahoos who sell their state to woo businesses. Someone has to do those tech jobs and its not going to be Cletus from the trailer park. Invariably, they import dems from blue states (who also enjoy the outdoors). Then all the locals complain about Commie-fornians invading their state after screwing up their own.
Wyoming is doable, but it’s a longer timeline.
trollhattan
@trollhattan:
My Pocatello buddy’s lawn would disappear in October and reemerge in April. All the gas saved on the mower went instead into the blower.
I am willing to push either mower or blower, not both. (Happiest currently with neither.)
ChrisS
@donnah:
I’d wager he won’t issue a press release saying that he apologizes for calling this a deep state hit on him based on meritless charges.
ChrisS
@trollhattan:
I live in upstate NY … winter anywhere else isn’t as bad. Although, I could be influenced to help out making some AZ mountain-adjacent town more blue than purple.
NotMax
@donnah
Still gets a pension on the public dime.
:(
artem1s
@cain:
You know the whole Bush Crime Family is just waiting in the wings with ‘Did Ya Miss Me’ bumpers stickers for when Dump finally gets run out on a rail. Darth Cheney will be right at the front of the snarling pack of thieves.
Leto
@NotMax: “Passion fruit? I will NOT have any fruit inspiring these, impure thoughts!“
@ChrisS: I’ve had the same thought. Have more of us move to an area/state to improve it. Then I remember I 1) enjoy my sanity and 2) enjoy book stores. Amazon doesn’t cut it.
HRA
Collins has resigned per CNN. Its about time the scum who was once our County exec.
NotMax
@artem1s
Jeb! busy Turtle Waxing the Brink’s trucks?
:)
Barbara
@Leto: Not “Club Fed” meaning the prison system, but the DOJ will frequently broker plea deals among family members that allow one family member to plead out in part based on how the other is treated, e.g., they might both have to plead guilty but only one will go to jail. Only for non-violent offenses, and not always, of course, but it’s fairly common in tax and security violations. So while both Collins and his son are pleading, I would bet money that only one of them is going to serve time — and that it will be the father if the son has young children.
H.E.Wolf
@artem1s:
He’ll be 79 in January, and his health has been poor for years. Not much need to worry about his recrudescence, vile though he is.
Kent
@ChrisS: Boise is a nice enough city as it goes. But faces the same problem as Austin in that it is sitting in the center of a ruby red state with a paleolithic legislature hell bent on squelching anything remotely progressive coming out of Boise. Like for example transit.
Wyoming has nothing really of interest as a place to live. I’ve spent time in Cheyenne and its only redeeming quality is that Colorado is not too far away.
Kent
@H.E.Wolf: You are forgetting about the Cheney Spawn. Liz Cheney is positioning herself to be the next female GOP hopeful.
Gin & Tonic
@H.E.Wolf:
Thanks for that. One of my favorite English words.
Kent
@HRA: Now if we can just get Senator Collins to resign in shame.
Gin & Tonic
@Kent: Jackson Hole is pretty darn nice.
Kent
@Gin & Tonic: I guess if you have a million to drop on a ski chalet. Always struck me as the Wyoming version of Aspen. Not the sort of place ordinary people actually go to pursue normal careers and lives.
trollhattan
@Kent:
For now she’s likely headed to becoming one of WY’s senators. Nearly as bad as it gets for the rest of us.
Kent
@trollhattan: Yes. Any Senator out of WY is likely to be problematic. Cheney is especially bad because she has higher aspirations as she isn’t really even from WY. So she’s not the typical Good Ol’Boy rancher type who is the typical Western GOP politician who is a reliable GOP vote but otherwise is fairly uninterested in national policy.
cain
These times reminds me of Credence Clearwater Revival’s song – Bad Moon Rising.
Kent
Off topic sort of.
But I just realized that New York City has a lot to answer for having given us Trump, Guiliani, Epstein, and Barr. Pretty much the entire rogue’s gallery of 2019.
I’m wondering if there is a certain type of NYC asshole that trump gravitates towards out of natural affinity.
cain
@Marcopolo:
Oops.. yes.. sorry, I don’t know why I thought Utah.
Kent
@cain: The Wyoming GOP will have to sort out if they want a carpetbagger from Maryland to serve as their Senator. Sure as hell won’t be any Dems winning that seat. Wyoming is a deep red as they get. It has no cities to speak of and no minorities so it is basically Texas without any big cities or minorities.
ChrisS
@Kent:
I’m a hunter/angler and outdoors person, so most of the mountain west is appealing … the lower ranch and oil-lands with the truck-stop towns not so much though.
janesays
@Martin: The Thornberry retirement doesn’t mean a whole lot. TX-13 is the most Republican-leaning district in the entire country (R+33). Every GOP presidential candidate since 2004 has won that district by at least 50 points.
If we win Texas 13, it means we’re going to win more than 350 seats in the House, 60 seats in the Senate, and the presidency with at least 400 EVs.
It would be absolutely fantastic, but it ain’t happening.
Kent
@ChrisS: I agree entirely. Much of the mountain west is beautiful rugged country. I’m especially partial to Eastern Oregon and places like the Bitterroots in Idaho. But politically speaking it is a wasteland of gun-toting racist MAGA types. I grew up with them in Oregon. When I was young I spent a lot of time with my dad hunting mule deer and elk in eastern Oregon and fishing in Idaho.
I’ve spent enough years living in tiny blue outposts in red states in both Alaska and Texas. After awhile it just gets tiresome to have every level of state government actively working against all you believe in from education to healthcare to the environment to urban planning and transportation. Now I live in Washington State and still have to pinch myself sometimes when I realize I have a state government that is actually working towards the same ends in which I believe.
NotMax
@Kent
According to the Census Bureau’s site, population of WY is about 10% Latino, ~17% non-Hispanic non-white.
FlipYrWhig
@Kent:
Oh totally. It’s what he thinks “toughness” looks like. He’s sort of intimidated by military types but he thinks NYC bullies, cops, and party-hearty rich people are his tribe because of their Don’t Give A Fuck attitude.
Kent
@NotMax: Which makes WY one of the whitest states in the country after Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Iowa.
NotMax
@Kent
Never said it wasn’t but stating as above that it has “no minorities” is a bit much.