New York Rep. Michael Grimm has always been a survivor, so if he steps into a federal court in Brooklyn Tuesday and pleads guilty to a felony charge that he evaded taxes — as he is expected to do — it will most likely be the beginning of the end for his brief, but spectacularly colorful, political career.
There is no word yet on whether the New York Republican’s plea deal will involve prison time, although with his record of public service, any period of incarceration would likely be short. Grimm faced as much as 20 years behind bars under his federal indictment.
Yet what is all but certain is that Grimm can’t survive politically once he admits guilt. After all, it was Grimm himself who suggested that if he was convicted, he would step down.
“If things don’t go my way, right? And I had to step down in January, then there will be a special election, and at least the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn can then have qualified candidates to choose from,” Grimm said during an October radio interview.
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http://www.politico.com/story/2014/1...#ixzz3MjsWwgrQ
I guess Michael Scott's freude is feeling pretty schadened at the moment.