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 Attorney William McGinley condemned the expected charges as a
"politically driven vendetta" against the congressman, who generated
headlines in January when he threatened to throw a television
reporter off a balcony after an interview in the U.S. Capitol
building.
Another source familiar with the case, speaking on condition of
anonymity, confirmed that charges against Grimm were likely.
Grimm, a former Marine, was elected to the House of Representatives
in 2010 as one of a wave of conservatives backed by the Tea Party
movement, which advocates small government and minimal taxes.
Federal investigators have been looking into his political
fundraising for at least two years.
Grimm's confrontation with the reporter, which was caught on camera,
took place on the evening of President Barack Obama's State of the
Union address to Congress.
"I will break you in half," Grimm told the reporter with cable
channel NY1 News, who had asked the Republican about the federal
investigation into possible campaign finance violations.
McGinley, his lawyer, said the congressman ultimately will be
vindicated of the charges.
"After more than two years of investigation plagued by malicious
leaks, violations of grand jury secrecy, and strong-arm tactics, the
U.S. Attorney's Office has disclosed its intent to file criminal
charges against Congressman Grimm," McGinley said in a statement.
"We are disappointed by the government's decision, but hardly
surprised. From the beginning, the government has pursued a
politically driven vendetta against Congressman Grimm and not an
independent search for the truth. Congressman Grimm asserts his
innocence of any wrongdoing," the lawyer added.
Diana Durand, a fundraiser for Grimm, was arrested in January on
charges that she illegally funneled more than $10,000 to his
campaign.
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The House ethics committee opened a formal probe into the
congressman's campaign finance activities in 2012, but unanimously
voted to defer the inquiry in light of the Justice Department's
investigation.
The committee's probe had focused on allegations that Grimm broke
federal campaign finance laws by soliciting and accepting prohibited
campaign contributions, filed false campaign finance reports and
improperly sought assistance from a foreign national in soliciting
campaign contributions in exchange for helping get a "green card"
signifying permanent U.S. residence.
Grimm, who represents New York City's borough of Staten Island, grew
up in New York, dropped out of college to join the Marines and
served in the Gulf War, then joined the FBI as a clerk while going
to college at night.
He eventually became a special agent investigating financial fraud
and organized crime before leaving the FBI to open a health food
store.
(Reporting by Julia Edwards in Washington and Emily Flitter in New
York; writing by Will Dunham; editing by David Storey)
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