Former U.S. Representative Michael Grimm (R-NY) got something of a break earlier today when he was sentenced to just eight months in prison on tax related charges. He had faced up to three years in prison after pleading guilty to one felony count of tax fraud.
At the time of Grimm’s plea, U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch noted that he had “signed a statement admitting to the conduct underlying every charge filed against him.” The charges included hiring undocumented workers and paying them in cash. It also included causing “numerous false business and personal tax returns to be filed for several years” and lying “under oath to cover up his crimes.”
Grimm originally pleaded not guilty to a 21 count indictment which could have resulted in more than 20 years in prison.
The beleaguered politician also initially refused to resign from his seat in Congress, saying, “As I said before as long as I am able to serve I will serve.” However, bowing to pressures from colleagues, including, reportedly, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Grimm eventually announced his resignation.
Despite his indictment and the charges against him, Grimm was overwhelmingly re-elected to his seat in 2014. Allegations that he had lied under oath while serving as a member of Congress didn’t affect his popularity, nor did an ethics investigation for possible campaign finance violations. And when that investigation turned sour, with Grimm threatening a reporter, “I’ll throw you off this (expletive) balcony” and “I’ll break you in half” – a confrontation which was caught on tape – Grimm’s constituency still continued to back him.
However, it appears that Grimm’s lucky streak finally ended. While Grimm told U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen that the damage to his reputation was punishment enough, Judge Chen disagreed, sentencing Grimm to eight months in prison. As part of his plea agreement, he must also pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF).
