Politics

Trump pardons Chris Collins, HHS grad who served in Congress

By Lightning Reports, Published: December 23, 2020

Former congressman Chris Collins, a 1968 graduate of Hendersonville High School and 2013 HHS Hall of Fame inductee, was among 20 supporters and other figures that President Trump pardoned on Tuesday.

One of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump in 2016, Collins is serving a 26-month sentence after pleading guilty in 2019 to charges of making false statements to the F.B.I. and to conspiring to commit securities fraud, the New York Times reported.

Born in Schenectady, New York, in 1950, Collins came to Hendersonville with his family when his father was transferred to General Electric's East Flat Rock plant. After graduating from HHS, he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University. He earned an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1975, according to Wikipedia. Collins made his money buying bankrupt and troubled companies.