Grimm and Recchia go toe to toe during spirited debate
A week after a candidates’ forum at which Republican Congressmember Michael Grimm was able to have his own way thanks to the absence of his opponent, former Democratic Councilmember Domenic Recchia, the two squared off at a rough-and-tumble debate on October 1 hosted by the Bay Ridge Council on Aging and held at the Fort Hamilton Senior Center in the shade of the Verrazano.
Grimm, a two-term representative now facing a 20-count federal indictment that includes charges of tax evasion and mail and wire fraud, was assailed by Recchia who contended that the former Marine and FBI agent had “lied to the FBI, lied to the U.S. attorney’s office and he’s lying you here today,” and demanded of Grimm, when allowed to ask a single question of his opponent, “Facing a 20-count indictment, leadership that doesn’t want any part of you and no committees, how will you serve the district when you don’t have power anymore?”
“My opponent’s entire campaign has been, Michael Grimm has legal problems so you should vote for me,” Grimm responded. “Everyone is entitled to his day in court,” he continued, before contending that, as someone not supported by party leadership in Washington prior to being elected, he owed nothing to anybody, and could therefore vote his conscience to the benefit of his constituents.