Trump Pardons Ex-Congressman Michael Grimm for Tax Fraud \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump has pardoned former Republican Congressman Michael Grimm, who resigned after a 2014 tax fraud conviction. Grimm, once an FBI agent and Marine, served time in prison and later survived a life-changing injury in a polo accident. The pardon was quietly confirmed by a White House official ahead of formal announcement.
Quick Looks
- Trump pardoned Michael Grimm, ex-GOP congressman from New York.
- Grimm pleaded guilty in 2014 to tax fraud related to a Manhattan restaurant.
- He resigned from Congress in 2015 and served eight months in prison.
- Grimm later attempted a political comeback in 2018 but lost the GOP primary.
- He once made headlines for threatening a reporter on Capitol Hill.
- Grimm apologized publicly after the outburst, calling it a mistake.
- He later worked for Newsmax before suffering a severe injury in 2023.
- Grimm was paralyzed from the chest down after a polo accident.
- Recent updates show he is slowly recovering mobility with therapy.
- The White House has not yet issued a formal statement on the pardon.
Deep Look
President Trump Pardons Former Congressman Michael Grimm After Tax Fraud Conviction and Personal Struggles
President Donald Trump has granted a pardon to former U.S. Representative Michael Grimm, a Republican from New York who resigned from office after being convicted of tax fraud in 2014. The move, quietly disclosed by a White House official on Wednesday, adds Grimm to a list of Trump-era pardons often granted to political allies or controversial figures.
Grimm, a former U.S. Marine and FBI agent, pleaded guilty to federal charges of underreporting wages and revenue at Healthalicious, a restaurant he co-owned in Manhattan. The scheme involved paying employees off the books and hiding income from tax authorities. He stepped down from Congress in early 2015 following the conviction and served eight months in federal prison.
Despite the conviction, Grimm remained active in politics. In 2018, he sought to reclaim his old seat in New York’s 11th Congressional District but was defeated in the Republican primary by Dan Donovan. Grimm had hoped to leverage his base in Staten Island and his “tough guy” persona, but the campaign was hampered by his criminal past.
Infamous Capitol Hill Confrontation
Grimm’s time in Congress was marked by both legislative work and high-profile controversy. In 2014, he became the center of national headlines after threatening to throw a reporter off a balcony inside the U.S. Capitol. The incident occurred when NY1 journalist Michael Scotto asked about an FBI investigation into Grimm’s campaign finances.
Caught on camera, Grimm warned the reporter, “If you ever do that to me again, I’ll throw you off this [expletive] balcony.” When Scotto attempted to clarify that the question was legitimate, Grimm doubled down: “You’re not man enough. I’ll break you in half. Like a boy.”
The outburst drew widespread criticism and forced Grimm to issue a public apology, acknowledging that his conduct was inappropriate and stating, “It shouldn’t have happened.”
A New Chapter Marked by Tragedy and Recovery
After his stint in prison and political life, Grimm found work in media, joining conservative outlet Newsmax. But his life took a tragic turn in 2023 when he was thrown from a horse during a polo tournament, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
In the months since the accident, Grimm has remained active on social media, documenting his recovery journey. In a January Facebook video, he said he was regaining some dexterity in his hands and working toward getting his legs to move again. A March update from a GoFundMe campaign supporting his medical expenses reported that Grimm had withstood four minutes upright on a tilt-table—a major milestone in spinal rehabilitation.
The incident has drawn sympathy from across the political spectrum, and many saw the pardon as influenced by Grimm’s health challenges and personal hardship, though the White House has made no official statement confirming the rationale behind the decision.
A Controversial Yet Consistent Pattern of Pardons
Grimm’s pardon fits a broader pattern in Trump’s clemency decisions—frequently extended to individuals with personal or political ties to the former president, including public figures convicted of white-collar crimes. Trump has also shown a willingness to pardon those who’ve expressed support for his administration or been featured in conservative media.
The former congressman has not responded publicly to the news of his pardon. Messages left by multiple media outlets went unanswered Wednesday, though supporters have continued to post messages of encouragement on his social media pages.
Whether Grimm seeks another public role in the future remains uncertain, but the pardon provides a formal closure to a turbulent chapter in his legal history.
Trump Pardons Ex-Congressman
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