Congressman Who Threatened Reporter Rakes in Campaign Cash
Embattled Rep. Michael G. Grimm of New York raised $346,000 in the first quarter, a large haul despite swirling controversy after the Staten Island Republican threatened to throw a reporter off of a balcony after the State of the Union address. Â
Grimm’s haul brings his total cash on hand to $1.17 million, according to his filing with the Federal Election Commission . Â
Included in Grimm’s first-quarter filing is $50,000 in legal fees to the law firm Patton Boggs. Grimm is currently under investigation for alleged campaign finance violations tied to his 2010 campaign. Â
Grimm will face former New York City Councilman Domenic Recchia in November in New York’s 11th District — a top Democratic target in 2014. Â
Democrats tout Recchia as a top-tier recruit in this district, which President Barack Obama carried by a 4-point margin in 2012. Â
Recchia has yet to release his first-quarter report, due to the FEC by midnight Tuesday. Â
New York’s 11th District is rated a Lean Republican contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.