New York Rep. Michael Grimm requested his removal from the House Committee on Financial Services after he turned himself in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was subsequently indicted on 20 charges on Monday.
The Republican congressman subsequently sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner asking to be dismissed from his appointment with the committee to prevent diversion from his former peers focusing on issues.
“It is unfortunate that trumped-up charges filed against me have necessitated this action but this was an appropriate decision that ensures the committee’s legislative agenda is not distracted,” Grimm said in a statement, adding that the removal is a temporary resignation until his name is cleared in court.
Grimm – who was taken into custody after surrendering to the FBI on Monday – faces charges of mail, wire, and health care fraud, as well as perjury and obstruction of official proceeding, related to a private business deal he made before he was elected, msnbc previously reported.
Grimm, who was once viewed as a rising GOP star, currently serves his second term as a representative for Staten Island, a borough of New York City. He was expected to return to D.C. on Tuesday, his office said. “I look forward to resuming my work on the committee,” Grimm said, “once a jury of my peers has weighed the evidence and I am fully exonerated.”
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