In recent developments, Former U.S. Representative Michael Grimm of New York has been granted a pardon by former President Donald Trump. Grimm, who is a Republican and previously served as a Marine and FBI agent, had resigned from his congressional position after being convicted of tax fraud. The disclosure of this pardon came through a White House official who spoke under the condition of anonymity prior to an official announcement.
Grimmโs legal troubles began when he admitted to underreporting wages and revenue from a restaurant he operated in Manhattan. This confession came to light in late 2014, which subsequently led to his resignation from Congress the following year. His sentence included serving eight months in prison. In 2018, Grimm made an unsuccessful attempt to return to politics by entering a primary for his former district but was defeated.
During his tenure in Congress, Grimm became a controversial figure after threatening a reporter. The incident occurred when questions about an FBI investigation into his campaign finances were raised. He was recorded telling the reporter, โLet me be clear to you. If you ever do that to me again, Iโll throw you off this (expletive) balcony.โ As the reporter defended the questionโs validity, Grimm responded aggressively, โNo. No. Youโre not man enough. Youโre not man enough. Iโll break you in half. Like a boy.โ Following backlash, Grimm acknowledged his mistake, admitting that his threat โshouldnโt have happened.โ
After his political career, Grimm found employment with the conservative media outlet Newsmax. However, his life faced another challenge when he was left paralyzed from the chest down due to a polo accident last year. In a Facebook video uploaded in January, Grimm expressed optimism about his recovery, mentioning improvements in finger dexterity and efforts to regain movement in his legs. By March, a GoFundMe campaign provided an update that Grimm could remain upright with assistance for brief periods, evidenced by a picture of Grimm smiling.
Efforts to reach Grimm for his comments on the pardon were unsuccessful on Wednesday.