Federal prosecutors in New York have dropped some charges against Congressman Chris Collins who was indicted last year in a federal insider trading case.
Collins was dropped from three counts in a rewritten indictment filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.
Collins, a Republican, has pleaded not guilty in the criminal case set for trial next year.
Prosecutors said in a letter to the trial judge that the charges were modified to avoid a delay in the case.
They say the charges prompted Collins to complain that he was being accused of wrongdoing over statements related to a speech and debate clause that protects members of congress from being prosecuted for legislative acts.
Collins was originally indicted in August 2018.
