The House Ethics Committee said Thursday it was extending its review of Republican Rep. Chris Collins of New York, whose stock market trades prompted an advocacy group to request an investigation for possible violation of insider trading or conflict of interest.
Collins, who has denied any wrongdoing, was the largest shareholder of Australia's Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited and sat on the company's board of directors. Advocacy groups had said Collins sponsored legislation that could potentially benefit the company.
As part of its extension, the Ethics Committee also released the findings of the independent Office of Congressional Ethics. The OCE had referred the Collins case to the committee in July. Its 29-page report was made public for the first time.
The OCE reviewed three allegations:
— Collins may have shared material, nonpublic information about Innate Immunotherapeutics in the purchase of the company's stock.
— Collins attended a meeting at the National Institutes of Health in November 2013 and in that meeting requested an NIH employee meet with Innate employees to assist in drug trial designs.
— Collins may have purchased stock unavailable to the public and that was offered to him based on his status as a member of the House.