Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., speaks to the media on Dec. 23, 2014, after pleading guilty to one count of felony tax fraud.(Photo: Michael Graae, Getty Images)
Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., will resign from Congress in January, saying that the decision came after "much thought and prayer."
Grimm, who was charged in April for hiding more than $1 million in revenue from a restaurant he owned before he ran for Congress, announced his plans late Monday.
"This decision is made with a heavy heart, as I have enjoyed a very special relationship and closeness with my constituents, whom I care about deeply," he said in a statement.
He plans to step down on Jan. 5, the day before the 114th Congress is sworn into office.
His announcement comes just a week after he pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion in federal court. He faces a maximum of three years in prison, and his sentencing is scheduled for June 8.
Despite facing a 20-count criminal indictment, Grimm maintained his innocence through the 2014 election cycle. He easily won re-election in November over former New York City council member Domenic Recchia. His seat covers part of Brooklyn and all of Staten Island.
"The events which led to this day did not break my spirit, nor the will of the voters," he said. "However, I do not believe that I can continue to be 100% effective in the next Congress, and therefore, out of respect for the office and the people I so proudly represent, it is time for me to start the next chapter of my life."
A former FBI agent and Marine, Grimm was first elected to Congress in 2010,
The New York Daily News first reported his resignation plans late Monday, saying that the congressman had spoken with Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Boehner spokesman Michael Steel declined to comment on the Daily News report.
Contributing: Paul Singer, USA TODAY
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