New York Congressman Apologizes After Threatening To Throw Reporter Off A Balcony
Grimm also said that he and the reporter, NY1's Michael Scotto, would be going out to lunch soon.
"I was wrong," Grimm said in the statement. "I shouldn't have allowed my emotions to get the better of me and lose my cool. I have apologized to Michael Scotto, which he graciously accepted, and will be scheduling a lunch soon.
"In the weeks and months ahead I'll be working hard for my constituents on issues like flood insurance that is so desperately needed in my district post Sandy."
Scotto tweeted that he accepted Grimm's apology:
Grimm had threatened Scotto after he had asked Grimm about an ongoing federal investigation into his campaign contributions.
Scotto reported back to the studio, in a live shot, that Grimm "does not want to talk about some of the allegations concerning his campaign finances." After Scotto's live shot was completed, Grimm approached him and threatened to "throw [him] off this f------ balcony" and "break [him] in half. Like a boy."
In a subsequent statement released late Tuesday night, Grimm said that the reporter had taken a disrespectful "cheap shot" that prompted him to become "annoyed."
"I was extremely annoyed because I was doing NY1 a favor by rushing to do their interview first in lieu of several other requests," Grimm said in the statement, which a spokesman emailed to Business Insider.
"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. 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."