Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY), a former FBI agent, was hit with a 20-count federal indictment yesterday, including allegations that he skimmed more than $1 million from a restaurant he owned before he came to Congress, Politico reports. In a defiant press conference, Grimm vowed to prove his innocence. He portrayed himself as the victim of a “vendetta” and “political witch hunt” by his opponents. “I know who I am, and I know what I've done for this country… I know I'm a moral man, a man of integrity,” Grimm declared.
The allegations against Grimm, 44, are related to his ownership of a health food restaurant in Manhattan called Healthalicious. Grimm owned the restaurant after he left the FBI in 2006 until he was elected to the House in 2010. The indictment announced by U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch lays out a long list of charges against Grimm, including mail and wire fraud, filing false tax returns, health care fraud, hiring undocumented workers, perjury and obstruction. The prosecution alleges that Grimm failed to report more than $1 million in income, showing his restaurant – Healthalicious – operating at a loss rather than a profit.