|
 "As long as I'm able to serve, I'm going to," said Grimm, who
noted he easily won a third term in November despite a 20-count
federal indictment unveiled in April.
Grimm, a Republican, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to
aiding the preparation of a false tax return in connection with a
health food restaurant, Healthalicious, that he co-owned before his
political career.
"While operating a restaurant, we underestimated the gross receipts
and used some of the money to pay employees off the books and some
other expenses," Grimm said in court.
As part of a plea deal, Grimm, whose trial had been scheduled for
February, also signed a statement of facts, admitting to concealing
over $900,000 in gross receipts from 2007 to 2010 and lying during a
2013 deposition.
Grimm's defiant declaration that he will not resign could put U.S.
House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and other Republican
leaders in a difficult position as Democratic members have already
begun calling for Grimm's resignation.
"Clearly, Speaker Boehner must insist that Congressman Grimm resign
immediately,” said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi in a
statement from her home earlier on Tuesday.
A Boehner spokesman said he would not comment until he has discussed
the issue with Grimm. Grimm told reporters he has had "private
discussions" with leadership but would not elaborate.
The 44-year-old former Marine and FBI agent, who represents Staten
Island and parts of Brooklyn in New York City, faces a maximum of
three years in prison when he is sentenced on June 8. His lawyers
indicated they would seek a more lenient sentence.
Grimm told reporters he was accepting responsibility for a "mistake"
that occurred before he joined Congress.
"For the past four years, I've been a very effective, strong member
of Congress," he said, adding that he had received many words of
support from his constituents.
House members who plead guilty to a crime that carries two or more
years in prison "should" refrain from voting on the floor or
participating in committee business, according to House rules.
[to top of second column] |
The House could also vote to reprimand, censure or even expel Grimm,
as it did in the case of Democratic Representative James Traficant,
who was found guilty of taking bribes and other crimes in 2002 but
refused to resign.
Prosecutors had accused Grimm of hiring illegal immigrants, paying
staffers under the table and under-reporting how much he spent in
wages.
He was also charged with lying under oath about his practices while
defending against a lawsuit brought by former Healthalicious
employees.
The indictment grew out of a probe of Grimm's fundraising, morphing
into one of the highest-profile prosecutions by the office of
Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, who has since been nominated
to become U.S. attorney general.
Lynch in a statement said the plea made clear that U.S. authorities
"will vigorously investigate and prosecute fraud wherever we find
it, and that no one is above the law."
Grimm had already generated controversy in January, when he was
recorded on camera threatening to toss a reporter off a balcony and
break him "in half, like a boy." He subsequently apologized.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Additional reporting by
Richard Cowen in Washington; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Diane
Craft and Andrew Hay)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
