Trump pardons former GOP congressman Michael Grimm over tax fraud fees

President Trump has signed off on a full pardon for former Rep. Michael Grimm of New York, in response to a White Home official. 

Grimm, a Republican, was convicted in November 2014 of tax fraud and associated fees stemming from his possession of a Manhattan restaurant earlier than becoming a member of Congress. Prosecutors mentioned he underreported wages and income to the federal government, and that he filed false tax paperwork. 

They alleged Grimm employed unauthorized staff whom he paid “off the books” in money, took deliberate steps to hinder the federal and state governments from amassing taxes he correctly owed, cheated the state of New York out of staff’ compensation insurance coverage premiums, prompted quite a few false enterprise and private tax returns to be filed for a number of years and lied below oath to cowl up his crimes.

When prosecutors efficiently argued for a jail time period for Grimm, they raised Grimm’s threats in opposition to a reporter who questioned him about his case and statements he made in courtroom in regards to the affect of his sentencing.  

“Although the defendant casts himself as a person with a life ‘nothing in need of extraordinary in its dedication to service to this nation and people in want’, his behavior of falsely denying and minimizing his prison conduct and impugning anybody who questions him is indicative of a person who has not come to phrases along with his personal crimes,” the Justice Division argued.

Grimm gained reelection in 2014 despite his indictment, however he pleaded responsible a month later to at least one rely of tax fraud. He resigned from Congress in January 2015 and served eight months in jail.

He was launched from jail in Might 2016, after serving roughly half a yr.

Grimm, who was former Marine and FBI agent earlier than he was elected to Congress, represented Staten Island and a part of Brooklyn from 2011 to 2015.

Individually, he was below investigation for alleged marketing campaign finance violations regarding his fundraising in his 2010 race.

In 2018, he tried a comeback however misplaced a Republican major for his outdated district to incumbent Rep. Dan Donovan, who then misplaced the final election to Democrat Max Rose.

In September 2024, Grimm was paralyzed from the chest down after he was thrown from a horse throughout a polo event.