The Associated Press reports:
NEW YORK (AP) – The FBI is considering whether to open an investigation into allegations that followers of a New York City rabbi made illegal campaign contributions to U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, according to a law enforcement official.
Followers of Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, an influential figure in Israel with a headquarters in Manhattan, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Grimm when he first ran for office in 2010, according to campaign records. Some donors have since said that they broke rules to donate more cash to the Republican’s campaign than allowed by law.
Former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) recently told Roll Call’s John Stanton that he contacted that FBI in the fall of 2010 that Grimm had tried to extort money from Pinto. According to the story published Friday, Weiner said he reached out to the FBI after Pinto made him aware of this early that fall.
