Grimm’s bid is perhaps most problematic for Republican after he was indicted on 20 federal criminal counts, including mail fraud, perjury, and employing illegal immigrants at a Manhattan restaurant he once owned.
The House Republican “Scandal caucus” isn’t backing down, and their defiance now threatens to hurt their party at-large.
Republican Reps. Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.), Michael Grimm (N.Y.) and now, Vance McAllister (La.) have all resisted calls to resign and are running for reelection anyway. In some cases, their defiance jeopardizes the GOP’s hold on their seats, but they’re all proving to be a stench to the party’s brand.
Their persistence provides easy fodder for Democrats grappling for a message to give them the upper hand as they pursue the improbable task of picking up 17 seats in a difficult political climate. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee already launched a standalone site outlining the GOP’s “House of Scandal” earlier this year, after the news of Grimm’s criminal indictment on 20 counts came out, and DCCC spokesman Josh Schwerin said they won’t let that message drop.
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