A former girlfriend of indicted Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm pleaded not guilty Monday to illegal fund-raising for his 2010 campaign.
Diana Durand, 48, of Houston, is charged in Brooklyn federal court with using straw donors to drum up campaign cash for Grimm and faces up to eight years in prison.
Grimm was indicted last week on a slew of fraud and tax-evasion charges related to his Manhattan health-food restaurant, but he managed to avoid any counts related to his campaign activity.
Durand’s attorneys claim that she didn’t know she was breaking the law.