Disgraced Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm laughed off criminal charges lodged against him and boasted that he “will be exonerated” on all counts.
In an interview with Politico, Grimm — facing a 20-count federal indictment for allegedly trying to conceal income from a Manhattan health-food restaurant he once owned — was asked if he’s innocent of the charges.
He paused for four seconds, chuckled and responded: “You know, uh. It depends on what you’re asking me of.”
“But I’ll tell you this,” he continued. “What I’m guilty of is trying the hardest and giving 100 percent of myself and putting my heart and soul into representing the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn. But I do believe when all is said and done, I will be exonerated and I think the people that supported me will be proud that they did.”
Grimm, who threatened to throw NY 1 reporter Michael Scotto off a Capitol balcony after the State of the Union, admitted he’s been paralyzed as a fundraiser.
GOP leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner, have refused to endorse Grimm in his re-election battle in November against City Councilman Domenic Recchia (D-Brooklyn).
The self-pitying pol blamed the media for all his problems.
“There’s no question: I’ve been vilified by the press since the day I got here,” Grimm said, in what Politico described as a “tense 22-minute interview” at Hinsch’s Diner in Brooklyn.
“From the very beginning they had to figure out how to get rid of this guy.”
Grimm said he’s taken responsibility for the embarrassing incident with Scotto.
“My misstep with Michael Scotto, that’s on me,” he said. “I screwed up.”
But then Grimm justified his caught-on-camera threat.
“I just felt it was another cheap shot. … The way I look at it is, people say, ‘Well he doesn’t want to talk about this,’” Grimm said.
“The issues out there that are affecting my constituents are so much bigger than the nonsense that so many reporters want to talk about.”