Ex-congressman Michael Grimm formally announces bid for old seat
Former Republican congressman Michael Grimm, who went to jail after pleading guilty to tax evasion, on Sunday announced his bid to win back his old congressional seat in New York.
“I have matured. I’m tempered. I’m wiser. But I’m still the same guy you know yearning to serve you every chance I get,” Grimm said during the campaign launch event, more than a year after being released from prison.
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Grimm will be vying for New York’s 11th Congressional District seat, which includes Staten Island and some areas of Brooklyn.
He will be running against Rep. Dan Donovan (R), who filled the seat after Grimm resigned six weeks after winning reelection in November 2015.
Grimm, who served his sentence in federal prison for eight months starting in 2015, said he has had time to reflect on his actions and learn and grow from his mistakes.
“I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and for introspection. I’m truly sorry if I let any of you down,” Grimm said on Sunday. “I feel like I let your voice be abruptly taken away from you when I resigned. From the very bottom of my heart, I am sorry and I do love you.”
Prosecutors at the time argued Grimm had failed to report $1 million from his Manhattan restaurant business, Healthalicious, which he co-owned before winning election in 2010.
Grimm first vowed that he would “absolutely not” resign after pleading guilty to the charges, but ultimately changed his mind after talking to then-House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
Before pleading guilty to tax evasion, Grimm made headlines after threatening a reporter in the U.S. Capitol building.
Michael Caputo, a former adviser to the Trump campaign, is working to get Grimm back in office.
Grimm, who has largely aligned himself with President Trump, repeatedly stressed his support for the president while Donovan has a record of voting against legislation supported by the White House.
“Together, we will go to Washington and have our president’s back,” the former lawmaker told the crowd.
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