WGRZ Tracks Down Trumpist Crook Chris Collins (NY-27) And Makes Him Answer 2 Questions

How does a progressive Democrat will in a Republican district with an R+11 PVI? Nate McMurray got a helping hand when the FBI barged into Republican incumbent Chris Collins' Manhattan penthouse and arrested him on a long list of charges related to Insider Trading. But that doesn't put him-- nor Ammar Compa-Najjar, who is also running against an indicted right-wing felon on the other side of the country (San Diego's equally red suburbs)-- into the seat.

Like I said, this is a helluva red district and there are many right wing voters who would prefer to elect a crooked Republican than a Democrat. McMurray hopes his first ad (above) will introduce him to NY-27 voters in a way they can relate to. He's running it both the Buffalo and Rochester media markets. He can use some help keeping it on the air and please consider contributing by tapping on the congressional thermometer on the right. Right now the race is in a dead heat-- even with the huge amount of money Collins has spent against him, smearing him in every conceivable way in the hope of getting Democrats and independents to just throw up their hands in disgust and not vote, the idea being, of course, that they're both corrupt. That's what an indicted felon has to do. Duncan Hunter is pulling a similar stunt on Ammar, who he's trying to paint as an Arab terrorist, even though Ammar passed a very tight security test when he worked in the Obama administration, a test Hunter could never pass-- not just because he's a drug abuser but because of the 36 page indictment. Paul Ryan kicked him off the House Arms Services Committee as a national security risk. So, try to tar your opponent with the same brush... the Republican strategy.

McMurray's not buying in to the negativity and has kept his campaign positive and issue-oriented. Collins has been ducking debates and interviews and any kind of public exposure. But... David McKinley from Buffalo power house station WGRZ wrote that he had tracked Collins down and got him to answer a couple of questions before he scurried away. "After months of trying to get a hold of Representative Chris Collins to get your questions answered," he wrote, "2 On Your Side has finally tracked him down. In an exclusive interview with 2 On Your Side's Dave McKinley, we found Collins and he spoke with us for a couple minutes outside the Brookside Banquet Hall in Newfane. The Niagara County Republican Party was holding a meeting the candidates event there. [Neither] the Niagara County GOP Party nor the Collins campaign made mention that he would be attending the event. If you take a look at the party's website, candidates that were invited were named except for Collins. We are the station that holds the people in power accountable and we brought the tough questions to Rep. Collins."

Dave McKinley: HOW CAN YOU ASK SOMEONE TO VOTE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS UNDER INDICTMENT?

Rep. Chris Collins: "WELL VERY SIMPLE, I'M INNOCENT. SO I'M REMINDING PEOPLE OF MY SIX YEAR VOTING RECORD, MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS SEAT STAYING REPUBLICAN TO KEEP NANCY PELOSI FROM BEING SPEAKER TO KEEP JERRY NADLER FROM BEING CHAIR OF JUDICIARY TO KEEP MAXINE WATERS FROM BEING CHAIR OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES. THIS IS ABOUT PROTECTING TRUMP AND THE DIRECTION OF THIS COUNTRY FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS AS OPPOSE TO GRIDLOCK, INVESTIGATIONS, INQUISITIONS, IMPEACHMENTS. IT'S THAT SIMPLE."

Dave McKinley: YOU TALK ABOUT BEING EXONERATED AT TRIAL, YOUR TRIAL DATE WAS SET TODAY, IF YOU EVER GET TO TRIAL, FEBRUARY OF 2020. HOW EFFECTIVE CAN A CONGRESSMAN LIKE YOURSELF BE WITH A MILLSTONE AROUND HIS NECK?

Rep. Chris Collins: "THERE IS NO MILLSTONE AROUND MY NECK, I'VE BEEN IN CONGRESS SINCE THE INDICTMENT. UM, I'M BEING TREATED LIKE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN TREATED. I'M, I HAVE NOT MISSED A VOTE. I AM SPONSORING LEGISLATION, I'M CO-SPONSORING LEGISLATION. I HAVE FOLKS COMING THROUGH MY OFFICE TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM. I'M IN DISCUSSION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. LET ME TELL YOU DAVE, NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN MY RELATIONSHIP IN CONGRESS WITH MY FELLOW MEMBERS OR WHAT I'M DOING A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS SINCE THERE, SO THERE YOU GO RIGHT THERE PROVES."

When asked if Collins gave insider trading information to his son, he did not answer the question and walked inside.

Again, that thermometer up top is so you can contribute to Nate McMurray's campaign. This is one we can help a good candidate replace a really bad one.