Embattled U.S. Rep. Chris Collins could run but he could not hide.

Last summer, The Buffalo News was all over the Collins connection to Innate Immunotherapeutics, a company with almost no name recognition until the last week. As the News covered what led to the arrest last week in New York of the congressman tied to insider trading, it noted this line from a Collins’ campaign message: “Another day, another fake story.”

News’ Editor Mike Connelly used that quote in a weekend column to give readers an idea of the growing battleground the media faces with covering our leaders, especially those in Washington. Politicians no longer blame the messenger. They are taking aim at it.

As we have noted before, Americans have every right to support and cheer local, state and federal leadership. There’s also times they need to be skeptical of what those same officials are saying.

Collins, obviously and delusionally, tried to deflect the story using our president’s disrespectful phrase. Instead, what he needed was some honesty.