BUFFALO, N.Y. — In the last two years, former congressman Chris Collins was arrested, tried, and convicted of federal insider trading charges.
He was sent to prison, and just last month he was pardoned by President Trump.
Now he's back in the public eye, at least on social media.
He posted a video to new social media accounts he created Wednesday, announcing his plans to share more about business, politics, his work for prison reform, and his time in prison on these pages in the coming weeks and months.
Collins spent two of his 26-month sentence in a Florida prison before receiving the call that he was pardoned by former President Trump three days before Christmas of last year.
2 On Your Side asked him about the moment he found out he was pardoned.
"One of the officials called us up in our dorm and said, 'You've been pardoned by the president. You are going home tonight. We have to get you out of here tonight. We need your wife and family to make arrangements,' " Collins said. "They never done anything like this and I broke down."
Collins also talked about that infamous phone call he made to his son, Cameron, on the White House front lawn.
"I've paid a steep price for that as a former member of Congress and someone who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud," he said.
"I paid a price for that and I'm moving on with my life, but we do all make mistakes. That was a mistake, and it impacted my entire family, and that was 5 minutes out of 70 years, and I've paid a steep price for that."
Collins said he spoke with President Trump on New Year's Eve, thanking him for the pardon. He also said this about the crime he committed.
Collins told 2 On Your Side he is a more humble and empathetic person as a result of his prison experience.