Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., was indicted on federal fraud charges for under-reporting the payroll and wages at his New York City restaurant, and for employing illegal aliens. He surrendered to federal authorities today.
The indictment alleges Grimm’s involvement in a scheme to avoid tax payments related to the illegal aliens he employed at his Healthalicious restaurant between 2007 and 2010. Court documents say Grimm "intentionally'' hired illegal aliens and engaged "in a pattern and practice of such hiring and continued employment.'' He also is charged with conspiracy, obstruction, mail fraud, perjury and the unlawful employment of illegal aliens.
Grimm is said to have concealed over $1 million in receipts plus hundreds of thousands of dollars of employees' wages, which fraudulently deprived the federal and New York state governments of sales, income and payroll taxes.
Grimm also is in trouble over foreign campaign contributions he admitted receiving from an Israeli rabbi and his followers. Grimm's contact with the rabbi pleaded guilty last year to an immigration fraud charge involving a woman who had been romantically involved with Grimm. That woman was charged last Friday with using straw donors to make illegal campaign contributions to Grimm.
Grimm, who represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, is one of the House Republicans the pro-illegal alien group America’s Voice has trumpeted as supporting citizenship for illegal aliens.
Read more here.
