Instead of going to trial, big bully and Staten island Congressman Michael Grimm decided to plead guilty to felony tax fraud today. The NY Times points out that he is a "former Marine and agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation who first ran for office as a law-and-order corruption fighter."
Grimm, a Republican, was nailed by the feds—in a 20-count indictment—earlier this year for not paying taxes on wages to employees at his Upper East Side health food store. From the Staten Island Advance:
He issued the plea before Judge Pamela K. Chen shortly after 1:30 p.m.
"What is your plea to count four of the indictment, guilty or not guilty," the judge asked.
"Guilty," Grimm replied.
"While operating a restaurant we underestimated the gross receipts, used some of that money to pay employees off the books, as well as to pay other expenses of the restaurant," Grimm said.
He could face 2-3 years in prison. As for resigning, FUHGEDDABOUTIT: Grimm said, "As long as I'm able to serve, I'm going to serve."
U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, Presidnet Obama's nominee for Attorney General, said in a statement, "Michael Grimm has now publicly admitted that he hired unauthorized workers whom he paid ‘off the books’ in cash, took deliberate steps to obstruct the federal and state governments from collecting taxes he properly owed, cheated New York State out of workers’ compensation insurance premiums, caused numerous false business and personal tax returns to be filed for several years, and lied under oath to cover up his crimes. He will now be held to account for all of his actions that led to those charges."
