NEW YORK (AP) — At a raucous debate Wednesday, Democratic challenger Domenic Recchia called Republican Rep. Michael Grimm a liar who failed to tell the truth to federal officials. The incumbent in the fiercely competitive and closely watched U.S. House race dismissed the criticism as political mudslinging.
The two candidates faced off before a boisterous, standing-room-only crowd at a Brooklyn senior center with Grimm casting Recchia as an “ultra-liberal progressive” in the mold of President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Recchia raised the issue of Grimm’s federal indictment. Grimm is accused of evading taxes by hiding more than $1 million in sales and wages while running a small Manhattan restaurant, and he has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts.
“Michael Grimm has a problem,” Recchia told the crowd. “He lied to the FBI. He lied to the U.S. attorney’s office. He’s lying to you here today.” The former New York City councilman said Grimm cannot be effective in Congress because the Republican leadership has distanced itself from the lawmaker.
Recchia’s comment elicited applause and boos, with one woman yelling at him, “You’re a liar.”
Grimm said during the debate and in an interview with reporters later that he’s entitled to his day in court. He defended his work in Congress since 2011, maintaining that he repeatedly challenged the House GOP leadership and worked to ensure assistance after Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
“My opponent’s entire campaign is, ‘Michael Grimm is bad, so vote for me,'” the lawmaker said.
The two candidates clashed over comprehensive immigration reform, with Recchia backing the bipartisan Senate bill passed last year and blaming House Republican for stalling on the legislation. Grimm argued that Obama’s policies on the border have been a failure and said, “we need to start worrying about the Americans in this country.”
Grimm also accused Obama of a foreign “policy of appeasement.”
The district covers Republican-leaning Staten Island and increasingly Democratic parts of Brooklyn. The race is considered one of the most competitive in the country and an opportunity for Democrats to flip a congressional seat in a tough political year in which the GOP is widely expected to increase its majority in the House.
In January, Grimm was captured on camera threatening to throw a reporter off a balcony after an interview in which the journalist had asked Grimm about an FBI probe into his campaign finances.
After the debate, Grimm told reporters that he apologized for the incident, explaining that the job of congressman is stressful and sometimes he’s emotional.
“As a Staten Islander, sometimes I get my Italian up,” he said. “It was wrong. I had a bad day.”
