New York congressman threatens to throw reporter off balcony

By scarce January 28, 2014 9:14 pm

 

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) took exception to a line of inquiry tonight from a local news reporter, threatening to throw the reporter "over the balcony" and saying "I will break you in half" at the SOTU. 

 

 

Well here's something you don't see every day. A New York congressman threatening a reporter live on air. Seems the heat is getting to Michael Grimm.
via Daily Beast

Congressman Michael Grimm threatened Michael Scotto, a reporter with NY1, a local New York television news station, after the State of the Union Tuesday night saying "you're not a man. I could break you in half." [Some reports said "will" instead of "could".]

Scotto, was finishing an interview with Staten Island Republican Michael Grimm about the State of the Union when he decided to ask one more question. What that question was is unclear because Grimm immediately cut him off saying "I'm not speaking about anything that is off-topic. This is only about the President's speech." The reporter then spoke to the camera saying that he hoped to ask Grimm about the ongoing campaign finance investigation around his 2010 campaign. Grimm has been linked to an allegedly corrupt Israeli rabbi and his ex-girlfriend has been indicted on charges of being a straw donor among other controversies.

Transcript by NY1:

"And just finally before we let you go, we haven't had a chance to talk about some of the..." Scotto began before Grimm cut him off.
"I'm not speaking to you off-topic, this is only about the president," said Grimm, before walking off camera.
"So Congressman Michael Grimm does not want to talk about some of the allegations concerning his campaign finances," Scotto said before tossing back to the station. But as the camera continued to roll, Grimm walked back up to Scotto and began speaking to him in a low voice.
"What?" Scotto responded. "I just wanted to ask you..."
Grimm: "Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again I'll throw you off this fucking 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."