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Comment by guest_blog on April 28, 2014 at 12:07pm

Rep. Grimm indicted on federal fraud, tax charges

Comment by guest_blog on April 28, 2014 at 12:06pm

But here's the story Scotto was asking Grimm about in the Capitol rotunda: Last week, the FBI arrested Grimm's fundraiser (and ex-girlfriend) Diana Durand on charges of illegally contributing more than $10,000 to Grimm's 2010 campaign through straw donors. Here's how the New York Daily News describes the alleged "donor swapping":

The swapping works like this: A donor who gives the maximum to Candidate A then donates to Candidate B — and in return, a donor or friend of Candidate B gives an identical amount to Candidate A. [NY Daily News]

In one case described by the Daily News, Candidate A was Bert Mizusawa, a GOP House candidate in Virginia, and the maxed-out donor was Washington lawyer Bazil Facchina; Durand was the second alleged donor, and Grimm Candidate B. The newspaper said its review of 2010 federal campaign finance record found at least another 20 such transactions involving Grimm and fellow candidates in California, South Dakota, Illinois, and Virginia.

The Daily News investigation implicates Grimm personally in one questionable transaction, but he's not listed in the Justice Department indictment. But Grimm has been under investigation for two years, and Durand is merely the newest wrinkle. In August, Ofer Biton — a former top aide toIsraeli Orthodox Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto — pleaded guilty to visa fraud; in early 2012, The New York Times reported that Biton and Grimm allegedly sought illegal campaign donations from Pinto followers, including large cash contributions and donations from undocumented immigrants.

theweek.com/article/index/255676/the-real-scandal-with-tough-guy-rep-michael-grimm