Grimm Realities

Who says bipartisanship in New York is dead? Add the name of Michael Grimm to the everexpanding list of corrupt New York pols from both parties. The Republican congressman from Staten Island has now pleaded guilty to a single felony count of tax fraud that could land him up to three years in the federal pen.

Even so, Grimm says he will not resign his House seat. And by law he doesn’t have to. Hard to believe, but Albany is lightyears ahead of Congress on this one, because a New York state legislator convicted of a felony automatically loses his seat.

Then again, Speaker John Boehner and the enhanced GOP majority have no real need for Grimm, so we expect ultimately he will be persuaded to leave. If not, the House Ethics Committee ought to vote for his expulsion.

What makes this all the more galling, of course, is that just seven weeks ago, voters reelected Grimm to another term (thanks in part to his running against an unusually hapless opponent)— even though he was under a 20count indictment.

Unfortunately, this too is a sorry pattern in New York: Voters putting party labels ahead of honesty by refusing to turn out criminally compromised legislators theway they should be turned out— at the ballot box.

Grimm first said hewas innocent. Nowhe’s admitted he cheated on his tax returns by understating over $900,000 in income. Because his criminal activity took place before he took office, Grimm says in his defense he should not have to resign his seat.

What Michael Grimm still doesn’t recognize is that this is only more proof he never belonged in Congress in the first place.