FBI may probe New York congressman's fundraising

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

NEW YORK – 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.

Pinto hasn't commented publicly, but former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, a Democrat who had been close to the rabbi, said in interviews with several media outlets Friday and Saturday that Pinto approached him in the fall of 2010 to complain that Grimm had extorted him for the money.

Weiner, who resigned last year amid a scandal over sexually explicit texts and Twitter messages, told the political newspaper Roll Call that he didn't know if the allegations were true, but reported them to the FBI anyway. He declined to discuss in detail why the rabbi felt he had been threatened.

"I can confirm the Rabbi did bring allegations to me and I can confirm that I turned them over to the FBI immediately," Weiner told Roll Call. Weiner didn't immediately respond to an interview request from the AP.

A law enforcement official confirmed Saturday that Weiner had contacted the bureau about Pinto's allegations in 2010.

The official also confirmed that the FBI is gathering information and considering whether or not to open a formal investigation into fundraising for Grimm by Pinto's followers and associates.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is incomplete.

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I never thought I'd see Weiner as the more ethical one in a scandal...