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Violence and Lies are No Big Deal
Being an account of deviance becoming normalized.
Congressman Michael Grimm (R-NY) was not happy being questioned by a TV reporter for NY1, Michael Scotto, about a pending investigation into Grimm’s campaign fundraising. Mr. Grimm walked away and Mr. Scotto had signed off… but the camera was still running when Grimm returned, and told Scotto:
Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again and I’ll throw you off this fucking balcony.
Grimm was speaking of the balcony in the United States Capitol and threatening the reporter with a 48-foot fall ending with a sudden stop on a marble floor. Survival would be chancy.
The video became confused with both men talking until Grimm ended the conversation, “No, no, you’re not man enough, you’re not man enough. I’ll break you in half. Like a boy.” Apparently noticing the camera was rolling, Congressman Grimm hurried away.
Reached that evening, Mr. Grimm doubled down and blamed the reporter for what was — unfortunately for his story — on video.
He apologized the next day.
The investigation that touched off the reporter’s question and Grimm’s ire led to a 20-count federal indictment. Grimm pled guilty to one count of tax fraud…
