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Stories tagged with “Michael Grimm”

Justice

New York Congressman Facing More Ethics Allegations For Failing To Disclose Privately Funded Travel

By Josh Israel on Aug 10, 2012 at 11:10 am

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY)

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY)

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) is a magnet for ethical allegations. Most significantly, he is reportedly already under a federal grand jury investigation for allegedly accepting donations from non-U.S. citizens and donations over the legal limit, and for allegedly pressuring a New York rabbi to raise campaign funds. Grimm has denied any wrongdoing.

As that investigation proceeds, Grimm now faces new ethics allegations, this time over his repeated failure to disclose a privately funded trip to Cyprus. The New York Times reports that though Grimm did receive pre-approval for his trip from the House Ethics Committee, he neglected to file the required disclosures afterwards:

Mr. Grimm did not file required paperwork about the trip, which was paid for by a private organization, with the House clerk, according to Congressional records. Nor did he initially report the Cyprus trip on his Congressional financial disclosure filing in May, even though he did list [an] Israel trip, according to the records.

But in June, Mr. Grimm amended his financial disclosure filing to report the Cyprus trip, the records show. The amended filing came one day after his host on the trip, Peter Papanicolaou, the president of the Cyprus Federation of America, which paid for the $6,890 visit, was arrested in Brooklyn on federal corruption charges.

Despite House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) promised “zero-tolerance” policy on ethical scandals, House Republicans have taking no action against Grimm.

NEWS FLASH

FBI Still Probing GOP Rep’s Campaign Finances | The New York Observer’s Colin Campbell reports that the F.B.I. reached out to at least one person in recent weeks about Rep. Michael Grimm’s (R-NY) allegedly illegal campaign financing in his 2010 race. In early March, the AP reported that the F.B.I. was considering a formal investigation, compounded by June revelations that Grimm spent more than $300,000 out of his campaign coffers on mounting legal fees. In a statement to the Observer, Grimm denied any wrongdoing and “welcome(d) the news that (the probe) is heading towards completion.” Despite a pledge by Republican House leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) to maintain “zero tolerance” of ethics scandals, Republicans continue to stand by Grimm, who himself has in the past been soft on ethics violators.

By Ali Gharib on Jun 20, 2012 at 6:06 pm

NEWS FLASH

NY Republican Congressman Under Investigation Spends $321,000 Of Campaign Cash For Legal Fees | Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY), who is under investigation for alleged illegal campaign fundraising, reported spending more than $321,000 from his campaign account on legal fees between April 1 to June 6, according to Roll Call. Grimm continues to serve despite House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) promised “zero-tolerance” policy on ethical scandals.

NEWS FLASH

FBI Considering Probe of NY Congressman Accused Of Extortion | The Federal Bureau of Investigation is considering an investigation of freshman Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY), according to the Associated Press. According to former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), an influential Manhattan rabbi who raised hundreds of thousands for Grimm’s 2010 campaign complained Grimm had extorted him for the donations. Some of those donations may have exceeded federal limits. Grimm has called the allegations a “Democratic smear campaign.” He was already one of more than 10 House Republicans under investigation for an ethics scandal.

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