Michael Grimm (Photo: Facebook)

The New York Times reports Republican Congressman Michael Grimm may have broken the law fundraising for his first campaign two years ago, charges Mr. Grimm denies. The report's sources accuse Mr. Grimm of everything from accepting envelopes full of cash to orchestrating a system of "straw donors" to allow Israeli citizens to funnel money into his campaign.

The allegations revolve around Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto's large number of followers that the Times says contributed $500,000 in total to his campaign. A number of detailed charges are laid out based on interviews from his congregation:

Three of the rabbi's followers said in separate interviews that Mr. Grimm or Mr. Biton told them that the campaign would find a way to accept donations that were over the legal limit, were given in cash or were given by foreigners without green cards.

Congressional campaigns are not allowed to accept cash donations of more than $100. Foreigners without green cards are barred by law from giving to political campaigns. They are also not allowed to solicit contributions for campaigns.

One follower of the rabbi said in an interview that Mr. Grimm pressed him for $20,000. The follower said Mr. Grimm instructed him to meet him 'near the F.B.I. building,' in Lower Manhattan, in summer 2010 to give the money. The follower said he handed over $5,000 in cash in an envelope to Mr. Grimm in Mr. Grimm's car.

"At first, I thought it was a joke because the allegations are so absurd and ridiculous," Mr. Grimm wrote in response to the Times' requests. "But let me be very clear, the information you received is completely false and I know is unsubstantiated, thus completely unfit to print."

The allegations shine an interesting light on a controversy surrounding Mr. Grimm's 2010 opponent, former Congressman Mike McMahon. Politicker reported at the time that a spokeswoman for Mr. McMahon's campaign argued the Republican was accepting "Jewish money" from outside the Staten Island-based district. Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto was specifically mentioned in the article.

While there is no indication that the final maps will look anything like the  Common Cause maps, there are some reasons to believe that the final map may not look so different: For one thing, it is getting late for the nonpartisan commission charged with making such maps (to the legislators liking) to compete their work. If they fail to, the process goes before a judge, and since the primary could be as soon as six months away, a judge will likely need some kind of guidepost, and the Common Cause maps, based as they are on keeping  communities of interest together.

And if that were to happen, and Mr. Cusick were to being squeezed into Mr.Titone's district, he will likely have two options--either primary Mr. Titone, would be tough, since most of the new district overlaps with Mr. Titone's, or run against Michael Grimm, the freshman GOP Congressman who has so far not received a serious Democratic challenger.

Mr. Cusick considered running for the seat in 2008, after Republican Vito Fossella stepped down in disgrace. Instead, then City Councilman Mike McMahon ran, and won, only to lose to Mr. Grimm in 2010.

Mr. McMahon remains the Democrats best hope of regaining the seat, but he has indicated that he will not decide to run until the final district lines are drawn.

Mr. Cusick would be a formidable candidate. A former Chuck Schumer disciple, he is a popular figure on the district

Mr. Gentile  told The Politicker that he had a long conversation with officials from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last week.

"They set the parameters for me," he said. "It was a challenging conversation."

The councilman said that DCCC was most concerned that he--or any candidate--would have the necessary funds to pick off an incumbent.

"That is the question--how much can I raise, and what kind of effort it would take to raise it. That is what we are trying to figure out," Mr. Gentile added. There are a couple of people interested in the race. [The DCCC] is not going to carry the load themselves, so its a partnership kind of thing."

So far, only Alex Borgognone, a Bronx restaurateur, has officially declared his interest in the race, but a number of elected and unelected Staten Islanders--including Council Member Debi Rose and Bill de Blasio aide Mark Murphy--have said they may take a look at it.

Mr. Gentile said if there were a competitive primary, he would "have an advantage."

"My perspective is a little different from the others," he said. "I'm doing public service now, and I feel like there may be an opportunity to do it on a wider basis for basically the same people I'm working for now."

Mr. Gentile represents the Brooklyn portion of a district that is mostly centered around Staten Island; however, he noted that he represented portions of Staten Island when he served in the State Senate.

Typically, candidates from the Brooklyn side have struggled in that district.

"I would not be introducing myself to the people of Staten Island," Mr. Gentile said. "Other Democrats from Brooklyn would have that problem, but I am the guy that would have that problem the least."

All of the machinations will be rendered moot however if Mike McMahon, whom Mr. Grimm defeated in 2010, decides to run again for the seat.

"We haven't had that conversation, but as a former Congressman he would certainly have a big say if he wanted to run," he said.

Mr. Gentile also said that he would step aside "as a matter of courtesy" if Mr. McMahon decided to get in.

People close to Mr. McMahon say that he is genuinely undecided about whether or not he runs, and that it may depend on how the lines are drawn after the most recent round of redistricting.

The real question however would be whether or not Mr. Grimm is beatable. Mr. Gentile says that he is.

"There are several scenarios by which he is beatable. A lot depends on how the economy goes over the next several months. So yes, I would say he is beatable but it is not going to be easy."