http://thehill.com/homenews/house/227946-pelosi-boehner-must-force-grimm-to-resignPelosi: Boehner must force Grimm to resign
By Scott Wong - 12/23/14 09:20 AM EST
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is turning the heat up on Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), urging him to call for Rep. Michael Grimm’s (R-N.Y.) resignation.
Grimm is expected to plead guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of tax evasion. He won reelection by a wide margin in November, despite the cloud of an indictment.
“Now that the election is over, Congressman Grimm is finally admitting the truth to his constituents,” Pelosi said in a statement Tuesday morning. “Clearly, Speaker Boehner must insist that Congressman Grimm resign immediately.”
Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said Tuesday that his office won’t comment on the matter “until the Speaker discusses the matter with Mr. Grimm."
But a senior GOP aide pointed out that Pelosi didn't call for the resignations of several House Democrats who found themselves ensnared in ethical controversies.
“After standing behind Reps. Bill Jefferson, Charlie Rangel, Jack Murtha, and many others, Rep. Pelosi has zero credibility of these issues,” the aide said.
In April, federal prosecutors hit Grimm with a 20-count federal indictment that included perjury, mail fraud, hiring illegal immigrants and trying to hide more than $1 million in sales receipts and underreporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages at his Manhattan restaurant Healthalicious — an effort, authorities say, to illegally lower Grimm’s federal and state taxes.
Grimm, a former FBI agent and Marine, pleaded not guilty, and went on to win his third term in office in November, despite the charges hanging over his head. But he reversed himself and is expected to plead guilty to one count. Because he could face jail time, he’ll be under increasing pressure to step aside.
