The House Ethics Committee has said it will continue to delay its investigation of Rep. Michael Grimm while the Justice Department carries out a criminal probe of the New York Republican’s fundraising activities.
The committee announced in 2012 that it had opened an investigation of Grimm, but then halted action because the Justice Department was conducting its own investigation of the Staten Island lawmaker. Since Justice hasn’t finished its work, the House panel on Wednesday said it again will defer its investigation.
Grimm has been accused of violating federal campaign finance laws by soliciting, and accepting, prohibited campaign contributions and filing false campaign finance reports.
One focus of the House probe is whether Grimm solicited campaign contributions from a foreign donor in exchange for offering to use his official position to assist that person in obtaining a green card.
Grimm also faces a 20-count federal indictment on charges he employed undocumented immigrants at a restaurant he owned prior to running for Congress in 2010. His trial is set for early 2015.
Despite his legal troubles, Grimm easily won a third term in November.
