The juiciest part of U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey's appearance at a Saugerties forum last night didn't get caught on tape. After the cameras were turned off and packed up, YNN's Capital Tonight reports, Daily Freeman reporter William J. Kemble was approached by a hostile Hinchey:
Hinchey made a beeline for Kemble and got in his face, according to a YNN videographer who was on the scene. The congressman poked Kemble in the chest aggressively, according to the YNN staffer. I spoke with Kemble briefly this afternoon, and he told me Hinchey “put his hand on my throat” and then “realized what he had done and walked away.” The YNN shooter told me he did not witness this part of the altercation.
Hinchey was angry because Kemble had been asking questions about Hinchey's involvement in the Partition Street Project, a Saugerties deveopment. Kemble has been hammering Hinchey over the Partition Street development for months -- in May, he penned a three-part series of articles suggesting that Hinchey might benefit financially from the development through his own congressional earmarks.
Earlier last night, before his physical altercation with Hinchey, Kemble badgered the congressman with questions about the Partition Street Project on-camera. In response, Hinchey got visibly upset at Kemble, telling him that he was "full of baloney" and eventually ordering him to "shut up." See that interchange below, on tape caught by YNN's cameras:
*UPDATE, 10:26pm: Hinchey's campaign has released a statement, which YNN has posted on their story (linked above) as an update. The Congressman's official response:
“Mr. Hinchey and Mr. Kemble have had a longstanding antagonistic relationship. Last night, Mr. Kemble rudely badgered Mr. Hinchey during an ongoing taped interview in an attempt to evoke a reaction,” said Liam Fitzsimmons, campaign manager for Rep. Hinchey.
“Following the taped interview, Mr. Kemble continued badgering Mr. Hinchey and took an aggressive step toward him in an attempt to provoke a further argument. Nevertheless, the congressman regrets he didn’t walk away from Mr. Kemble sooner in order to end the heated argument.”
