STATEN ISLAND — Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm will not be charged for threatening to throw NY1 reporter Michael Scotto off a balcony after the State of the Union on Tuesday, the Daily News reported.
A congressional source told Fox News that law enforcement officials were discussing the possibility of criminal charges against Grimm, who threatened Scotto after an interview.
But Capitol Police told the Daily News Friday they have closed the probe.
When Scotto tried to ask Grimm about an investigation into his 2010 campaign fundraising, Grimm cut him off, then threatened to "break" the reporter "like a boy," video posted by NY1 shows.
"Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again I'll throw you off this f-----g balcony," Grimm can be heard telling Scotto.
While Scotto argued he'd asked a valid question, Grimm threatened to break him in half.
"No, no, you're not man enough, you're not man enough. I'll break you in half. Like a boy," Grimm said.
NY1 reported that Scotto was contacted by the Capitol Police over the incident, but did not want to press charges.
The congressman could also face action from the House's Ethics Committee, Fox News said.
While Grimm was initially less than apologetic towards the reporter, he later offered to take him to lunch.
"I was wrong. I shouldn’t have allowed my emotions to get the better of me and lose my cool. I have apologized to Michael Scotto, which he graciously accepted, and will be scheduling a lunch soon," a statement released by Grimm said.
The congressman also took to Facebook on Thursday to publicly apologize to Scotto again.
"I humbly apologize for my actions toward Michael Scotto on Tuesday night, my emotions got the best of me," Grimm wrote.
"I know I'm only human and very passionate, but this never should have happened and it won't ever again. My constituents have placed their trust in me, my parents both raised me better than this and I owe it to all of you to live up to those principles."
Scotto said he accepted Grimm's apology, but commenters on the congressman's Facebook page weren't as quick to forgive.
"I don't know why that was your reaction to a straightforward question," Brenda Flower wrote on his page.
"Sorry, but I believe you are only apologizing because you got caught...you were trying to intimidate him."
However, some on his page agreed with Grimm and placed the blame on Scotto's question.
"The way I see it, Scotto was the bully. All Michael did was defend himself," Li Sa Esposito-Mazzu wrote on his page.
