CREW: NY Congressman Michael Grimm Threatens Reporter
Friday, January 31, 2014
Michael Grimm, member of the United States House of Representatives. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
source Citizens for Responsible and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
WASHINGTON DC (January 30, 2014)--Just when you think Congress has hit rock bottom, a member goes and digs the hole a little deeper.
Unsurprisingly, that member is an ethically challenged New Yorker who’s been on our radar for years.
Tuesday night, after the President had delivered his State of the Union address, Representative Michael Grimm responded to a question about the controversy swirling around his finances by verbally assaulting the reporter, threatening to throw him off a balcony and “break [him] in half.”
Unfortunately, this total meltdown is in keeping with the congressman’s refusal to come clean about the allegations surrounding his shady fundraising practices, which recently led to the arrest of his former girlfriend and even more scrutiny.
It’s brutish behavior like this that has led to a historically low opinion of Congress and a
We demand more from Washington.
That’s why we filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Grimm yesterday afternoon.
There’s no excuse for Rep. Grimm’s conduct, and we want him to know he won’t get away with it.
Federal investigators are probing whether a crooked fundraiser helped Rep. Michael Grimm raise illegal funds in 2010 in exchange for the candidate’s promise to help him obtain a green card.
The New York Republican enlisted a well-connected Israeli citizen, Ofer Biton, during his 2010 campaign. Mr. Biton allegedly helped then-candidate Grimm solicit large sums from donors, including several businessmen involved in the pornography industry, frequently breaking campaign contribution limits in the process, all in the hope that — once in office — Rep. Grimm would help him procure a green card.
Rep. Grimm also violated House rules by including footage from floor proceedings in a fundraising e-mail to promote his reelection campaign.
Update 1/29/14:
CREW CALLS FOR ETHICS INVESTIGATION OF REP. MICHAEL GRIMM FOR THREATENING REPORTER
Update 1/13/14:
FBI arrests pal of Rep. Michael Grimm on charges of election fraud related to donations
- Two-term member of Congress representing New York’s 11th district
- Under investigation by the FBI, the House Ethics Committee, and possibly the Federal Election Commission for running an illegal fundraising ring during his 2010 campaign
- Previously named to CREW’s Most Corrupt in 2011 and 2012
- One of four members from New York named in CREW’s Most Corrupt
