Former GOP Rep. Chris Collins pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court Tuesday to a pair of felony charges relating to an insider-trading scheme.

“I understood I had a duty not to disclose confidential information,” Collins told Manhattan federal Judge Vernon Broderick before a packed courtroom as he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and making false statements.

“I regret my actions,” he said. “This is something I will live with for the rest of my life.”

He faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

The judge also said Collins — a staunch defender of the Second Amendment — would lose the right to own a firearm.

Under a plea agreement Collins signed Sept. 24, prosecutors recommended he serve from 46 to 57 months.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17.

The 69-year-old ignored questions as he left the courtroom, walking swiftly to an elevator in the escort of the US Marshals, who barred reporters from entering the public lift, citing unclear “security reasons.”

He maintained his silence in the lobby — while another marshal barked at reporters that no questions were allowed — and then bolted into a dark black sedan.

The Buffalo-area lawmaker in June 2017 provided his son Cameron with information about a failed trial of a multiple sclerosis drug developed by Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotech company whose board he sat on at the time.

“On June 22, 2017, I was notified by the CEO of Innate that the drug had failed,” Collins said in court Tuesday. “I was shocked, I was devastated by the news, thinking about the multiple sclerosis patients.”

“I was emotional, I called my son Cameron, I can’t remember what happened on that call,” he said, but added he understood if his “could trade, he would.”

His son dumped his stocks, avoiding $570,900 in losses, and passed along the information to the father of his then-fiancee, Stephen Zarsky, who also unloaded his shares.

Collins also admitted to lying to the FBI when they came to investigate, claiming he hadn’t told his son.

All three were variously charged with fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud and other counts.

Outside the courthouse, Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman highlighted that Collins admitted to “illegally tipping [off] his son while standing on the White House lawn.”

“By virtue of his position Collins helped write the laws of this country and acted as if the law didn’t apply to him,” said Berman. “No one is above the law and it is because of our office’s commitment to and pursuit of that ideal that Collins is now a convicted felon and no longer a member of Congress.”

Collins’ guilty plea follows a whirlwind 24 hours in which he filed letters of resignation with both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after news broke Monday that he intended to change his plea.

The disgraced pol proclaimed his innocence as recently as last month, when he pleaded not guilty to a new indictment narrowing his alleged criminality.

Outside court, he even told reporters he wasn’t yet sure if he’d run for office again — but bragged that he’d win again if he did.

Cameron and Zarsky are expected to enter guilty pleas Thursday.

Cuomo said he is “inclined” to fill Collins’ vacant seat “sooner rather than later” because western New York deserves a representative, but will review the law before calling a special election.

“I don’t believe, legally, I can call one for this November, which would be convenient because people are going to the polls anyway, and I tend to shy away from having numerous elections,” he said during an interview on WAMC in Albany.

Additional reporting by Bernadette Hogan