Embattled and indicted Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm vowed Tuesday that he’ll win re-election this fall, despite federal charges hanging over his head.
Grimm said his internal polling of district voters was encouraging.
His polls showed “I’d win, I would win re-election and that’s why we’re running,” Grimm said on Geraldo Rivera/WABC radio. “I’m going to fight these charges all the way and I’m going to win my election.”
The Marine and former FBI agent also pulled rank, and said his opponents don’t have the courage he’s displayed on the battlefield.
“I was only 20 years old when live rounds were coming down range in my direction and the natural instinct is to run away,” said Grimm, a veteran of the first Iraq war.
“But you find something inside you and you fight and you go for it and I ran toward the bullets, I ran toward the bombs. I knew what my job was as a United States Marine.”
Grimm’s been accused of paying employees at his former Manhattan health-food restaurant in cash in order to allegedly dodge taxes and minimum-wage regulations.
Grimm also made national headlines earlier this year when he physically threatened an NY1 reporter who had asked him about his ongoing federal probe.
US attorney’s investigators had tried to tie Grimm to suspect campaign contributions raised by an Israeli citizen. But when Grimm was indicted for his restaurant business last month, there were no campaign-finance charges.
“This is a completely selective prosecution that is politically motivated by … an overzealous prosecutor that has his own political ambition,” Grimm said.
“That’s it. Period. It’s not like there’s something that’s going to reveal itself now. It’s become obvious and everyone knows it.”
He added: “It smells. It smells bad all the way around.”