Felony
Rep.
Michael Grimm announces his resignation from Congress, effective Monday
From threatening a
reporter to tax evasion charges, here's a look back at Rep. Michael Grimm's
(R-N.Y.) 2014 and what led to his resignation. (Pamela Kirkland/The Washington
Post)
U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.)
announced late Monday that he will resign from Congress effective next week.
Grimm pleaded guilty in federal court
last week to felony tax fraud. He privately told House Republican leaders
Monday that he will resign, following calls from Democrats for him to step
down.
“After much thought and prayer, I have
made the very difficult decision to step down from Congress effective January
5th, 2015,” Grimm said in a statement. “This decision is
made with a heavy heart, as I have enjoyed a very special relationship and closeness
with my constituents, whom I care about deeply.
He added: “The events which led to this
day did not break my spirit,” he added, “nor the will of the voters. However, I
do not believe that I can continue to be 100 percent effective in the next Congress,
and therefore, out of respect for the Office and the people I so proudly
represent, it is time for me to start the next chapter of my life.”
Grimm spoke with House Speaker John A.
Boehner (R-Ohio) by phone Monday, according to Republicans familiar with the
exchange.
Rep. Michael Grimm
(R-N.Y.), admits last week to federal tax evasion. His guilty plea was a change
from the not guilty plea he entered earlier this year. (AP)
Grimm could face up to three years in
prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 8.
The congressman was indicted this year
on 20 counts of misconduct in connection with a Manhattan health food
restaurant he co-owned before he became a member of Congress. As a part of his
plea, the other charges will be dismissed without prejudice, his attorney,
Stuart N. Kaplan, said in an e-mail last week.
First elected in 2010, Grimm represents
a district that includes Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. He is a former
FBI agent with a reputation for being intense and at times combative.
After President Obama’s State of the
Union address this year, Grimm threatened to throw a reporter off a balcony
after the reporter questioned him about his legal standing. He later
apologized.
It will be up to New York Gov. Andrew
Cuomo (D) to decide whether to hold a special election to fill his seat, which
could be at risk of falling into Democratic hands. Obama won 52 percent of the
district in 2012.
“If things don’t go my way, and I had to
step down in January, then there will be a special election,” Grimm told WABC
radio in October. “At least the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn would have
qualified people to choose from.”
U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm of New York after his guilty plea at the Brooklyn federal court in New York. (Stephanie Keith/Reuters).
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