'I will throw you off this f***ing balcony': GOP congressman caught on camera threatening to 'break TV reporter in half' for asking him about campaign finance probe after State of the Union

• .Rep Michael Grimm, 43, of Staten Island, told NY1 political reporter Michael Scotto he will throw him off Capitol balcony 
• .Scotto tried to ask Grimm about federal charges filed against his campaign donor earlier this month 
• .Grimm, a retired Marine and ex-FBI agent, later said he was annoyed with Scotto for taking 'a cheap shot' at him and 'took him to task' 
• .Not his first time threatening violence as he allegedly used his gun to threaten a man at a nightclub back when he was an off-duty FBI agent

By SNEJANA FARBEROV

Congressman Michael Grimm, a Republican from Staten Island, was caught on camera threatening a NY1 reporter with extreme physical violence following Tuesday night's State of the Union address.

The verbal confrontation between Grimm and veteran political correspondent Michael Scotto came during a brief interview discussing President Barack Obama's annual speech, which the GOP congressman labeled 'divisive.' 

Scotto then attempted to question Grimm about the federal investigation into his 2010 campaign fundraising, but the politician immediately cut the reporter off, refusing to answer any further questions.

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Bully pulpit: Rep Michael Grimm, a Republican from Staten Island, was being interviewed by NY1 about the State of the Union address when he became angry with the reporter and threatened him

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Off-topic question: NY1 political reporter Michael Scotto attempted to question Grimm about the FBI investigation into his 2010 campaign fundraising, but the politician cut him off and refused to discuss the matter

‘I'm not speaking to you off-topic, this is only about the president,’ said an irate Grimm before stalking off. 

‘So Congressman Michael Grimm does not want to talk about some of the allegations concerning his campaign finances,’ Scotto said into the camera.

 

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That is when Grimm, 43, marched back and confronted a startled-looking Scotto. 

Although the audio in the clip that captured the exchange is very low, a transcript provided by NY1 shows that at one point Grimm said to Scott: 'Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again I'll throw you off this f***ing balcony.’

The reporter attempted to defend himself, pointing out that he simply wanted to ask ‘a valid question.’

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Fit of rage: The 43-year-old retired Marine and former FBI agent went after Scott, threatening to throw him off the balcony

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Threat of violence: Grimm (right) was caught on camera telling Scotto: 'I'll break you in half. Like a boy.'

In response, Grimm told him: 'No, no, you're not man enough, you're not man enough. I'll break you in half. Like a boy.’

In the wake of the incident, Grimm released an unapologetic statement claiming that he was ‘extremely annoyed’ because he was doing NY1 a favor by agreeing to do their interview first. 

‘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,’ Grimm said. 

He continued, saying: ‘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.’

A retired U.S. Marine and former FBI agent, Grimm was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 during the wave of Tea Party conservatism.

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Unapologetic: A defiant Grimm (left) released a statement blaming Scotto (right) for being ungrateful and failing to show him respect by taking a 'cheap shot' at him 

NY1 political director Bob Hardt demanded that Grimm issue an apology to Scott, calling his behavior 'extremely disturbing.'

Earlier this month, the FBI charged Grimm’s donor Diana Durand with exceeding the maximum allowable contribution to the Republican’s campaign by asking her friends to donate $10,000. 

Grimm, 47, has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged.

The New York Times reported that the politician has faced an investigation into allegations that he or his campaign illegally asked for contributions from foreign donors.  

This is not the Congressman's first threat of violence, as The New Yorker reported in 2011 that he got into a fight with a man at a Queens nightclub more than a decade earlier. 

He allegedly said the man 'don’t know who he’s f***ing with...I’ll f***in’ make him disappear where nobody will find him'.

The confrontation continued into the club's garage, where a NYPD officer who was working at the club confronted then-FBI agent Grimm after Grimm was holding his gun and threatening the man. 

'I’m gonna f***in' kill him...I’m a fucking F.B.I. agent, ain’t nobody gonna threaten me,’ Grimm reportedly said. 

Grimm later denied saying those statements: 'I don’t need to speak that way. A guy with a gun who knows how to use it doesn’t need to say anything.'