Disgraced Staten Island Congr✃essman Michael Grim🐈m laughed off criminal charges lodged against him and boasted that he “will be exonerated” on all counts.
, 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, ch🥂uckled and ﷺresponded: “You know, uh. It depends on what you’re asking me of.”
“But I’ll tell you this,” he continued. “What I’m guilty ꦯof 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 off𝓀 a Capitol balcony after the ꦐState 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 againsജt City Councilman Domenic Recchia (D-Brooklyn).
Th♑e 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 heꦓre,” Grimm said, in what Politico described as a “tense 22-minute interview” at Hinsch’s Diner in Bro🌌oklyn.
“From the very beginning they 💖had to figure out how to get rid of this guy.”
Grimm ꧙said he’s taken responsibility for the embarrassing incident with Scot🐼to.
“🌜My misstep with Michael Scotto, t💟hat’s on me,” he said. “I screwed up.”
Bu✤t 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 m𝄹uch bigger than the nonsense that so many reporters want to talk about.”