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Presidential Clemency Record

Michael Gerard Grimm

Pardon

  /   2025–Present

Record at a Glance

Clemency type
Pardon
Presidential term
2025–Present
Federal district
Eastern New York
Offense
Aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns
Sentence
Eight months' imprisonment; one year's supervised release, conditioned upon 200 hours' community service; $148,907.11 restitution (July 17, 2015; as amended August 10, 2015)
Current status
As of June 7, 2025, Grimm said he was recovering from a 2024 spinal injury and planned to return to Newsmax. His May 2025 pardon remains the latest event in the federal tax case.

Original Case

Grimm, a former FBI agent and Republican congressman from Staten Island, pleaded guilty to helping prepare a false tax return connected to a restaurant he had co-owned. He admitted concealing sales and wages and employing workers off the books; those admissions explain the conduct but were not separate conviction counts. The court sentenced him to eight months in prison, one year of supervised release with 200 hours of community service, and $148,907.11 in restitution.

Clemency

Trump granted Grimm a full and unconditional pardon on May 28, 2025, years after Grimm completed the eight-month prison term. The pardon relieved the continuing federal consequences of the tax conviction but did not withdraw his guilty plea or reimburse the restitution already paid.

Trump Connection

Grimm, a former Republican member of Congress, cast himself as a Trump ally during his attempted 2018 political comeback and emphasized support for Trump’s agenda. Trump nevertheless endorsed Grimm’s primary opponent, Dan Donovan, at the time. The 2025 pardon placed Grimm among several former officeholders granted relief, but the White House did not publish an individualized rationale or identify an advocate.

Sources

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