NEW YORK, May 6 (UPI) -- Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., said Tuesday he expects his "salt-of-the-earth" constituents to give him another term in Congress in spite of a federal indictment.
Grimm spoke in an interview on WABC-TV with Geraldo Rivera. Grimm, who served in the Marines during the first Gulf War and later in the FBI, is the only Republican representing New York City in Congress with a district mostly in Staten Island.
“The support has been overwhelming,” he said. “In all sincerity, I am one of the most -- strange, it might sound bizarre -- but I really am one of the luckiest members of Congress. And I say that I because I have salt-of-the-earth people in my district. Staten Island and southwest Brooklyn are just goodhearted, hardworking, regular, everyday people.”
A former girlfriend, Diana Durand of Houston, has been charged with violating campaign finance laws on his behalf. She appeared Monday in federal court in Brooklyn and pleaded not guilty.
Grimm has been charged with income tax evasion in connection with a health food restaurant he owns in Manhattan.
