Rep. Michael Grimm turned himself in to federal authorities on Monday and is awaiting indictment on unspecified criminal charges that are related to his running of a health food establishment in his pre-congressional days, before 2011.
Loretta Lynch, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, is supposed to release the specific of the grand jury indictment against him later today, Politico reported.
But he’s expected to face over a dozen charges — among, mail and wire fraud, filing false tax returns and false health care payments, hiring illegal immigrants and obstruction of justice, sources close to the case said, Politico reported.
The charges are related to his operation of Healthalicious, a restaurant on the Upper East Side, Fox News reported. But it’s not known if the charges are also tied to his congressional campaign.
The restaurant at one point was fined $88,000 for failing to give workers’ compensation to employees, Fox News said.
“We are disappointed by the government’s decision [to indict], but hardly surprised,” said attorney William McGinley, in Fox News. “From the beginning, the government has pursued a politically driven vendetta against Congressman Grimm and not an independent search for the truth.”
Mr. Grimm also “asserts his innocence of any wrongdoing [and] will be vindicated,” the statement from his attorney said, Fox News reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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