Written by Adam R. Bermudez
Michael Grimm, a second term Republican Congressman, did not like the direction of an interview last night after the State of the Union and decided physically threatening a reporter was the best course of action.
Rep. Michael Grimm. Photo c/o Facebook.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted this video of the exchange between Grimm and Michael Scotto, a reporter on NY1:
Click here for video
According to an NY1 transcript of the exchange, the Congressman told the Scotto he would “break [him] in half”:
Grimm: “Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again I’ll throw you off this #$%^ing balcony.”
Scotto: “Why? I just wanted to ask you…”
#cross talk#
Grimm: “If you ever do that to me again…”
Scotto: “Why? Why? It’s a valid question.”
#cross talk#
Grimm: “No, no, you’re not man enough, you’re not man enough– I’ll break you in half like a boy.”
Grimm, 43, released this statement:
“I was extremely annoyed because I was doing NY1 a favor by rushing to do their interview first in lieu of several other requests,” he said. “The reporter knew that I was in a hurry and was only there to comment on the State of the Union, but insisted on taking a disrespectful and cheap shot at the end of the interview, because I did not have time to speak off-topic.”
He goes on to defend his threats:
“I verbally took the reporter to task and told him off, because I expect a certain level of professionalism and respect, especially when I go out of my way to do that reporter a favor. I doubt that I am the first Member of Congress to tell off a reporter, and I am sure I won’t be the last,”
Grimm is up for reelection this year and will likely face former Councilman Domenic M. Recchia Jr. (D-Brooklyn) in a general election in November, unless successfully challenged in a Republican primary in June.
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