Congressman Threatens Reporter Over On-Camera Follow-Up: "I'll Break You in Half. Like a Boy


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http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/01/29/michael_grimm_ny1_video_gop_congressman_allegedly_threatened_to_toss_a_repoter.html

 

 

 

 

Grimm: "Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again I'll throw you off this f-----g 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."

 
 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZUgKTjycHI

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"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 continued: "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."

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The House Ethics Committee is again deferring an investigation into Rep. Michael Grimm, a former FBI agent, for possible campaign finance violations ? leaving the matter in the hands of the Justice Department, which is conducting a criminal probe.

 

The committee said the New York Republican remains under investigation by the Justice Department for potentially violating campaign finance laws by soliciting and accepting prohibited contributions from foreign donors, actions that may have caused false information to be included in campaign finance reports.

 

One focus of the investigation is whether Grimm improperly offered to help Ofer Biton, an Israeli citizen obtain a green card. Biton has close ties to Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, an Israeli Rabbi whose wealthy, zealous followers have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Grimm's 2010 campaign.

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 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."

 

 

LOL, expects certain level of professionalism and resepct, doesn't give it back.....telling a reporter off isnt the same as threatening physical violence. 

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LOL, expects certain level of professionalism and resepct, doesn't give it back.....telling a reporter off isnt the same as threatening physical violence. 

 

No.

 

He respected the reporter when he agreed to be interviewed by him while being in a rush. It was the reporter who broke the agreement, the terms of the interview by going off-topic.

 

p.s. I don't defend the congressman. It's just a matter of principle. imho, they both deserve each other.

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In such as hurry that he stands around till the reporter raps up then carrys on a conversation "off camera"

If this had been Russia there would have been a scrap afterwards :D

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No.

 

He respected the reporter when he agreed to be interviewed by him while being in a rush. It was the reporter who broke the agreement, the terms of the interview by going off-topic.

 

p.s. I don't defend the congressman. It's just a matter of principle. imho, they both deserve each other.

 

 

 

He could have handled that in a number of ways, when you threaten someone specially in the manner as he did, that's far from professional or respectful, period. He wasn't in that much of a rush if he waited around to for the reporter to finish. Reporters have a job to do, don't do interviews if you're worried they might throw in a off topic question, specially one related to an issue the Congressman had been specifically dodging.

 

 

Edit: One last point, he wasn't being respectful by agreeing to an interview, all politicians pretty much have a duty, if they plan on staying a politician, to do interviews with the media. That's a small part of their over all duties to stay relative to their party and constituents. All politicians also know that tough questions will come, regardless of if they want them to or not. Lastly, they all know, be it they forget A LOT, that if they are around the media, they are pretty much on camera/mic. He screwed up and now made a even bigger mess and put himself in the lime light more so on the topic he was trying to avoid all together with this reporter. He dun goofed.

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Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

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^ I'd have said it was even monumentally stupid. He should have known the reporter would... report it! Now he's got to answer to it publicly! Twit.

 

The following is the first line from the original post:

 

Protip: The camera doesn't automatically turn off when the reporter kicks it to the studio with a "back to you."

 

 

Yes, the joke is on the congressman. On a different note, it sucks to have a kind of job where you must stick your nose into other peoples' business and potentially be told off from time to time as a result.

 

That question was 100% provocative as there's already an investigation going on there. What did he expect? To get an apology for the wrong-doing on camera?

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No.

 

He respected the reporter when he agreed to be interviewed by him while being in a rush. It was the reporter who broke the agreement, the terms of the interview by going off-topic.

 

p.s. I don't defend the congressman. It's just a matter of principle. imho, they both deserve each other.

The appropriate response is to tell the reporter that it was the last time he would do him a favor.  The inappropriate response is to threaten to throw him off a balcony, and belittle him.  Reporters do need to be told off, but there's a right way, and there's this way.

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Reporters ask questions, it's what they do. There is nothing to suggest a reporter can only ask certain questions to certain people. The U.S. isn't communist China. If the Congressman didn't want to answer the question he could have simply walked off. The sick thing is his supporters will probably think what he did was OK: Sticking it to those nosey mainstream media reporters asking probing questions about currents events. Gee, I wonder where they learnt to do that.

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The following is the first line from the original post:

 

 

Yes, the joke is on the congressman. On a different note, it sucks to have a kind of job where you must stick your nose into other peoples' business and potentially be told off from time to time as a result.

 

That question was 100% provocative as there's already an investigation going on there. What did he expect? To get an apology for the wrong-doing on camera?

 

 

 

Leave it to you to be the voice of opposition regardless of how wrong the side you take is. The question the reporter asked was 100% in the right as per his job. The media's job is to ask the tough questions, cause sure as hell no one else is going to have the opportunity. As for what he expected, according to him, the reporter, this morning he said he expected the Congressman to say no comment or just walk off as so many have in the past under similar situations. You know, to act professionally as the Congressman expects others to do. 

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The correct responses are 'No comment' or 'I would like to discuss this further in the future, but I don't have time right now'.

The incorrect response is 'You !#$*!#@ .... I'll throw you off this balcony'.

 

So, now he's viewed as a bully who appears to have something to hide. Guilty or not, he's seriously damaged his reputation.

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