Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) pleaded guilty to a single count of tax evasion on Tuesday and almost immediately announced that he would not resign his seat in the House, where he was re-elected last month.
His made his guilty plea to Judge Pamela Chen in federal court in Brooklyn, according to the New York Daily News, which, a day earlier, broke the news of the New York congressman’s guilty plea plans.
Grimm was charged in April with 20 felony counts for his alleged involvement in hiding $1 million worth of wages and sales at the restaurant he ran before he entered Congress. He had also been charged with hiring illegal immigrants. At the time he pleaded not guilty.
During his plea he said he “underestimated” the receipts at his restaurant, according to Roll Call’s Alexis Levinson.
Grimm said he “underestimated” gross receipts at his restaurant, paid employees off the books, and therefore tax returns were false.
— Alexis Levinson (@alexis_levinson) December 23, 2014
When the judge pressed, Grimm clarified that by “underestimated” he meant under reported”
— Alexis Levinson (@alexis_levinson) December 23, 2014
House Democrats were quick to demand that House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) push Grimm to resign. Boehner’s office said the speaker would not release a statement on Grimm until he sat down with the New York congressman.